The Notes Of My Heart
by Demented Insane Spirit
Summary: AU, Anzu wants to become a professional dancer, but knows that she cannot do it without an accompanist. After meeting Yami Mutou, a well-known pianist, she knows that he is exactly what she needs, and perhaps more than she expected...
1. Call for a friend

DIS: Lately, I've been reading a lot of books with pianists in it. Two of the ones that I read ended with a sad ending. (sniff) I was so distraught at one death, though I was too stunned to cry. Anyway, I decided to make a story voicing my obsession. Also, the "real" action between Anzu and Yami (and a lot of other action, for that matter,) won't show up until chapter eight. Yes, sad, I know, but true. Now, read below and enjoy!

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Title: The Notes Of My Heart 

_Rating: M for language and all that jazz_

_Genre: Romance/Drama_

_Summary: AU, Anzu wants to be a dancer, but knows she can't do it on her own. Certainly not without an accompanist. When she meets Yami Mutou, a world known pianist, she knows he's what she needs. And maybe even more. _

_Disclaimer: I do not own YuGiOh_

_Notes/Warnings: First Yami/Anzu chaptered fic; drama; I'd like to thank Adsica for inspiring me to write this with her newest Yami/Yuugi story. _

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The Notes Of My Heart Prologue 

A six-year-old girl smiled to herself as she took a lick of her ice cream. The warm weather of July had descended upon Japan. It was the end of the month and the heat was at its peak. Anzu Mazaki was sitting beside her mother, Sakura, curled up against her beneath the shade of a tree in the park. The sun would be setting soon. Vanilla ice cream dripped down the side of the cone and onto her fingers without her noticing. "Here, sweetheart," Sakura murmured, handing Anzu a napkin. Her daughter gave a puzzled look before taking the napkin and wrapping it around her cone. She licked the ice cream from her fingers and then returned to eating her treat.

Anzu would remember that soft, kind smile that came onto her mother's lips for the rest of her life. That day had been the day that had changed both hers and Sakura's life. When she had finished her vanilla cone, Sakura cleaned her face and pulled her to her feet, lifting her up and smiling up at her. The girl couldn't comprehend what moved in her mother's eyes as she gazed up at her. When Anzu had become a young lady, she had realized it had been regret mixed with apology.

"Come on, Anzu," Sakura said, gently setting Anzu on the ground. "I'm taking you to see something beautiful. You'll love it." Anzu beamed up at her and let her hand be encased in her mother's sweaty palm. Leading her away, Sakura passed over the crosswalk to the opera house. There was a line of nicely dressed people. Anzu glanced down at her own attire. Earlier that morning, she had complained to her mother at having to wear a white dress, matching shiny shoes and stockings, and a ribbon in her hair. She only wore such attire to church.

When they came to the man taking tickets, Sakura handed him two tickets and he gestured them inside. Anzu gripped her mother's hand a bit harder, glancing around fearfully at the many crowds. Chuckling, Sakura brought her up in her arms, and maneuvered through the crowds. They were one of the last people arriving. Quickly, Sakura took their seats. The lights were beginning to dim. "Watch the stage, Anzu," Sakura quietly told her, repeating, "You'll love it."

Anzu straightened in her chair and stared at the stage intently. Lights flashed on and then the thick, red curtains pulled back. Her eyes widened slightly and she watched as a woman glided out onto the stage. She drew in a breath as she heard the soft piano music playing. The woman onstage swung around in arcs, moving with a fluid grace Anzu had never seen in anyone, not even her mother, who she considered the most graceful beauty ever. Now, she was thinking that the woman onstage was.

The piano music quickened to a six-eight rhythm. Anzu watched as another dancer came onstage, bounding towards the first dancer. They performed an articulate dance, their feet sliding over the stage, their bodies flexing easily with an unseen pressure. Never once did they touch, always seeming to evade each other. Anzu listened as the piano gave a loud clamor of notes and then halted for a few measures of rests. The first dancer collapsed to the floor and the lights on the stage dimmed. The other dancer floated off the stage and a male came on in her place. The piano picked up with a slow, leisurely rhythm. The man danced past the still woman and back to her, sliding around her.

He swept down with one leg stretched out and the other tucked beneath him as he lifted the woman up, his hands seemingly gentle with hers. Then Anzu witnessed, as the music turned less tragic-sounding and more romantic, a kind of forbidden dance between the two. The two dancers barely touched, seeming to draw away at the last moment.

_One day, _Anzu promised herself, _I'll be just like her. I'll be pretty and dance just as good. _

After the ballet was finished, with the two finally being able to stay together, Sakura took her outside and they headed home. It was quiet for a while before her mother queried, "Did you like it, Anzu?"

"Yes, mommy," Anzu replied with a bright smile. "I'm going to be a dancer someday."

"And you'll be a beautiful dancer," Sakura said with a returning smile that was touched with sadness. "Everyone will adore you." Anzu giggled and took her mother's hand and pressed it to her cheek as they walked home. When they entered the house, Anzu could hear the TV going in the living room. After removing her shoes, she ran to her father in the living room and climbed onto the couch to him.

"Daddy! I'm going to become a dancer!" She announced to him. He gave her a quizzical look and lifted her into his lap, smiling wearily.

"Is that right?"

"Yep! And you can be my partner!" He raised his eyebrows and then laughed, kissing her on the head. Sakura watched them from the doorway, her hands folded neatly in her lap. Satisfied, she left them and went upstairs.

"You'll have a prince to be your partner, angel." Anzu giggled and hugged her father around the neck, the distinct smell of his aftershave clinging to his cheek where he had shaved. It was the one scent that she could attribute to her father. "Isn't it about time for your bath? You smell like ice cream."

"I had ice cream!"

"Well, aren't you lucky?"

"I am!" He laughed and picked her up, carrying her upstairs to the bathroom. "I want a bubble bath. Can I have a bubble bath? Please? Please?"

"Sure, angel," he answered. He turned the faucet on and filled the tub with bubbles and lukewarm water. He turned to her to help her with her dress and after she was undressed, she instantly went into the tub, giving a sigh of pleasure. He chuckled and took her dirty clothes to her room to her hamper.

Once she was out, he got her in her pajamas and put her in bed. He didn't know where Sakura was, but assumed she was tired from her outing with Anzu. He kissed his daughter on the cheek, turned her nightlight on, and left her to sleep with a, "Sweet dreams, angel. I love you," to her.

She replied with a soft, "Goodnight, daddy. Love you, too."

That night, Sakura left her husband and daughter to be with another man.

That night, Anzu's life was tipped upside down without her knowing it.

Chapter One, Call for a friend 

Seiji Mazaki pushed a hand through his hair and took a swig of the alcohol he was drinking. It was a mix of Coca Cola and vodka. He stared moodily down at the bills on the table. It had been fourteen years since his wife had left him. He had never seen Sakura since that night when he said 'goodnight' to her right before he shut the light off and crawled in bed. He hadn't noticed how stiff she had been until he thought over her manner the next morning. When he woke, he was alone and there was a note on the pillow. The worst part of it was seeing his daughter enter the room with her beautiful, bleary smile and ask in her sweet voice, "Where's mommy?"

Life hadn't gone so well for either of them after that. Anzu got a part-time job when she was fourteen in one of his relative's restaurants to pay for the dance classes she so desired. He had been able to keep up the payments up until then. He had to take two jobs himself and so he was always exhausted. Anzu did the shopping and cleaned the house herself. He hated having her juggle a job, school, dance classes, and housework, but she insisted on it. He never asked her questions when she went through Driver's Ed. He never asked her how she was handling it, because it was clear by the dark circles beneath her eyes that it was tiring her.

His daughter was twenty now, though, and her schooling for dance was not as academically challenging as high school had been. Her dance instructor, Madame Jeannes, tutored her now that she had just recently graduated from college. Seiji was glad his daughter was pursuing her dream so persistently. He knew she would have to leave him soon. He also knew that they would have to leave this town soon as well.

"I'm home," Anzu's gentle voice called from the entryway. Sighing, he drank the rest of his light drink and pushed up from the table to meet her. "Hi, daddy." She grinned at him, her azure orbs sparkling. She slid her shoes off and stepped up to meet him near the stairs. She hugged him and he returned it briefly.

"Anzu. We need to talk." Her smile lessened a bit.

"Okay. Let me put this milk away." She held up the carton of milk. He nodded and went to the living room, where he slumped on the couch. Everything reminded him of Sakura. He hated it. He hated living here. He could barely keep up with the payments. Usually Sakura dealt with that. It had been hard the past years and he was weary of the constant working. He just wanted to rest.

When Anzu joined him on the couch, he took her hands in his rough, callused ones and sighed. "Anzu," he said slowly, "I can't handle this on my own much longer."

"This?" She repeated in clear confusion.

"The two jobs. The house. The memories. All of it." He sighed again, this time rubbing his face. "We're moving, Anzu. I've already chosen an apartment in a few towns over. I know you don't like it, but it will work out for us both. I already have been promised a job over there, so money won't be an issue for us anymore. Can you understand this?" She stared at him for a long moment, before bowing her head and nodding.

"Daddy...I was thinking I could get my own apartment," she confessed, raising her eyes to his. "I've saved up some money and I'm sure I can find a good job to keep it going. And Madame Jeannes...She said that I'm ready to start auditioning and I don't want to keep you up at night if I'm practicing." Her father stared at her for a moment and then a smile broke out on his face.

"You've been thinking about this for awhile, haven't you?" Ashamed, Anzu nodded again in answer to him. "It's a good idea, Anzu. You're going places. That's good. We'll fix things up and see what we can do, eh?"

"That sounds awesome." He laughed and hugged her.

"We're going to do just fine, angel."

X

Jounouchi Katsuya stretched his mouth in a yawn as he hopped out of the truck he was driving. He peered up at the apartment building and scratched his head, the blonde, shaggy hair fluffing out. He shook his head and sighed, going to the back and jerking the door of the truck open. "Yo, Honda! Get your ass out here and help me!" There was a jumble of words as Jou's friend replied. Rolling his eyes, the blonde muttered, "Lazy bum," and glanced to the two cars that pulled in the parking lot.

While Honda woke himself up, Jou sauntered over to the female and her elderly father. The man was saying something anxiously to her. She responded in a cheerful, positive tone and he nodded slowly. Spotting Jou coming towards them, the man raised his hand in greeting. "Hey there," Jou greeted in his usual, friendly manner. "So, just to get this straight, whose stuff are we movin'?"

"Mine," the female answered.

"Oh, okay." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, saying, "I just wanted to know because ladies are usually a lot more picky about how we handle their stuff. Now that I know that, I'll be extra careful with it." He winked at her teasingly and she laughed.

"You better!" She warned before turning to what Jou assumed was her father and hugged him hard for a moment. "I'll call you later, daddy."

"Alright..." He sent a look to Jou, before getting in his car and driving away.

"The door to the apartment should be open. The landlord said it would be as soon as the U-Haul truck pulled up," Anzu told Jou. She paused and then smiled, introducing, "I'm Anzu Mazaki, by the way."

"Jounouchi Katsuya, but call me Jou." He flashed a grin at her, asking, "Are ya moving in by yourself or do you have a husband meeting you?"

"No, I don't. Do you have a wife?"

"Nah," he answered, shrugging his shoulders. "I used to, but we divorced. I have a little girl, Rena, but I don't see her as much as I'd like." He smiled widely at her, saying mischievously, "She's so like me that when I do see her, I make sure she's even more like me to piss my ex-wife off." Anzu laughed. "My sister says I should be ashamed, but whatever." He shrugged again, smiling in a way that made it obvious that he was not in the least ashamed and had no intention of being so.

"Well, that's the best way to get back at people."

"I know, right?" There was a holler from Honda at the truck and he turned, his hands in his pockets. "There's my friend. I guess he finally woke up. Want me to introduce you?" 

"Sure." Anzu followed him to where Honda was, rubbing his face and scowling a bit. When he saw Anzu, the scowl was replaced by a curious look. He glanced at Jou, and then returned his gaze to her, smiling slightly.

"Hey, this is Anzu Mazaki," Jou said to Honda, pointing a finger to her. "She's single." Honda flushed angrily and Jou smirked, filling Anzu in, "He and I were competing over my ex-wife, Mai, for awhile and then he started going after my sister. Rejected by both of 'em. You interested? He's desperate." Anzu giggled, surprised by Jou's easy, swaggering manner.

"Blockhead!" Honda snapped, socking his friend in the shoulder. Jou flinched, rubbing where Honda had hit him and sending him a surly look. "Jesus, you sure know how to blab about stupid shit. You don't pick up a girl by being an ass."

"Who says I was tryin' to pick her up?" Jou grumbled, dropping his hand. Honda rolled his eyes. "Besides, what would _you_ know? I got the lady, not you."

"Yeah, and now look at where you are." Jou shrugged and turned to Anzu, who had listened to them with an amused expression on her face.

"We'll have your stuff upstairs in no time," he said brightly. He shoved Honda towards the back of the truck and she watched them, smiling to herself. She couldn't help but think that people here in Domino were a lot friendlier than those in her hometown. She had never had any close friends except for her parents. The responsibilities that had weighed on her after her mother ran off had made it so she never did the same things as those in her age group.

_Oh, well, _Anzu thought as she turned back to her car and grabbed a box and then headed towards the apartment. _Maybe things will be better here in Domino_.

Once everything was in the apartment, Jou invited Anzu to go do something some time – "Purely as a friend!" he had said – and so they exchanged numbers, along with her and Honda, who, being more solemn than Jounouchi, was the brains of their friendship, Jou being the latter. After they left, Anzu shut the door, called her father to tell him everything was going well, and then started unpacking and putting her apartment together.

X

Shizuka opened the door as a knock sounded and smiled at the female at the door. There weren't many women that could stand her older brother's social nature and so she had been surprised when Jou informed her that his new lady friend would be coming over for dinner. She half-expected it to be a prostitute or some trashy girl. Instead, she was met with a soft, nicely dressed female. She was older than Shizuka by at least two years. "Hello," the woman greeted. She held up a bag, saying, "I wasn't sure if I was supposed to bring anything, so I bought some ice cream."

"Oh, how nice!" Shizuka took the ice cream and let her into the modest apartment she and her brother shared. After Jou's divorce, he and Shizuka agreed to move in together while she was going to nursing school. "Thank you, but you don't have to bring anything when you come to dinner again – you _will _come to dinner again?"

"Yes, of course."

"I'm Shizuka, by the way. Jounouchi's sister."

"Anzu Mazaki." Shizuka beamed at her and led her to the kitchen, where she put the ice cream in the freezer. "I love how your apartment is set up."

"Thanks, I did it myself. Jou has no artistic ability unless it has to do with food. Then he goes out of his way to make things fancy." The two girls laughed just as said brother came in the kitchen. He sent them suspicious looks as he flopped into a seat at the counter.

"What are you two talkin' about, huh?" He demanded, a twinkle in his chocolate colored eyes. "Me?"

"That's right," Shizuka replied, sharing a secretive smile with Anzu. "You know how we girls are. We love to gossip about people behind their back. Especially brothers and friends." Jou snorted and leaned back in his chair, smiling nonetheless. "Sit down, Anzu. I'm almost finished with the food." Anzu did as asked, slipping her jacket off and setting her purse on the table.

"So have you met your apartment mates yet, Anzu?" Jou spoke up in question, stretching his arms up to the ceiling and then bending them back behind his head.

"A couple," Anzu responded. "There's not really anyone my age that lives there, though, so it's not very lively conversation. So far I've met a divorced man, an elderly couple, a journalist, and an artist-in-training." Jou chuckled at the last one. "But I'm not too worried about there not being anyone my age. Once I get around town, I'm sure to meet some new people."

"Domino's a big place with a bunch of different people. You'll make friends easy, Anzu. You're like my sister – no one can hate ya." He flashed a grin to Shizuka, who was rolling her eyes. "Just by curiosity, why'd you move to Domino, anyway? The town you _were_ in was pretty nice, wasn't it?"

"Shibuya? Well. Yeah. But I was ready to get out on my own and my dad wanted a cheaper place to live. We figured we'd move to Domino, get our own apartments and keep in contact. Besides, I prefer Domino. You're more likely to run into snobs in Shibuya." She gave a slight smile, wishing she hadn't said that about her hometown. It was true, though. Shibuya was a place for wealthy people. Anzu's mother had been a newswoman, so she made a good deal of money, and her father had a relatively nice job as a construction manager. Anzu admitted to herself that her mother had been a bit stuck-up.

"Yeah..." Jou scratched his chin idly. "The good thing is that you're not a snob like them." He smiled at her and she returned the smile.

"Are you going to school here, Anzu?" Shizuka queried as she set three plates on the table with cups, forks, and spoons.

"No, I did two years of school at dance school since that was all there was to offer over there and it gave me a degree so that, if I can't dance onstage famously, I can at least teach dance or something like that."

"Really?" Shizuka paused by the stove, her eyes bright. "You're a dancer? I'd like to see you dance sometime." Anzu's cheeks colored slightly, but she nodded nonetheless. She hadn't even danced for her father yet. "You'll need an accompanist, right?"

"An accompanist?" Anzu repeated blankly.

"Yeah. If you want to dance professionally, you're going to need an accompanist to play the piano or whatever instrument it is you choose. I've been to ballets competitions before – one of my friends used to be in ballet – and she always had to have her aunt play the piano for her." Anzu looked thoughtful as Shizuka served the food, spilling noodles onto the plates. Jou eagerly turned to his food while Shizuka turned back to get them the garlic bread from the stove. "Have you done tried out for auditions yet?"

"No, not yet. Will I need an accompanist for that?" Shizuka shrugged her shoulders daintily.

"Maybe. I'm not too sure. You should start looking, just in case." Shizuka smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, Anzu. Domino has all sorts of musicians, both aspiring and famed. You'll find someone."

_I hope so, _Anzu thought, taking her chopsticks and picking up some noodles, blowing on them lightly. _I had no idea..._

When Anzu got ready to leave, Shizuka gave the number to her cell phone and suggested they have a girl's day out some time. Anzu said goodbye to the Katsuya's and left the apartment, going to the parking lot and driving home. As she drove, she brooded over what Shizuka had said. Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she considered who could play the piano for her. _I never even noticed how the pianist's name was always mentioned with the dancer's until now, _Anzu realized as she stopped at a red light. _I don't know anyone close to me that can play the piano. I'll have to get a stranger. Arrgh, but how am I going to pay them? _Stepping on the gas as the light turned green, she dismissed the thought of money, _I'll deal with it later. Right now I have other issues to work out. _

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DIS: So, what do you guys think? Just so you know, I don't know if a dancer _does_ need a pianist or if Shibuya is full of wealthy people. A few of my facts are made up, as you can see. Anyway, please, _please_ review on your way out to tell me what you think of it. It would be appreciated. Ciao!


	2. The effects of divorce

DIS: Welcome back! Thanks to raygypsy714, journey maker, xXRoseGoddessXx, drkmagiciangrl25, Dancers and Pharaohs, Innocentenough, xXXPsychoxKittyXXx, Anshu (Yeah, this story kind of writes itself, lol,) ANZU&ATEM FAN, SeleneXAngel, and marilou. I'm sooo glad that you guys liked it! I was really uncertain about this. Now, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

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_Chapter Two, The effects of divorce_

Mai Kujaku, once with the last name of Katsuya, moved through the opera house with Rena at her elbow. Rena ran through the chairs of the auditorium, laughing joyfully. On the large, spacious stage at the front was a shining, black piano. She had heard piano music when she was out in the lobby, but she could see neither the pianist, nor could she hear the music any longer.

"Rena," Mai called to her daughter. The girl ran to the front row of seats and then hurried to her mother. Mai felt a dark grimness at how much she looked like her ex-husband. Her eyes were wide and brown, her blonde hair a darker shade than Mai's. Even her skin tone was a bit darker than Mai's fair complexion.

Every time Mai looked at the four-year-old, she was reminded of Jounouchi Katsuya. She wasn't sure when their marriage had gone wrong or when they realized how their differences were too much for each other. All she remembered was the continuous fighting from when Rena was two to when she turned three. After that, they divorced and had remained that way for a year. Jou always sent the money for child support, but rarely was able to see Rena with his and Mai's schedule.

_But he loves her, _Mai reassured herself whenever she thought that Jou was neglecting his daughter. _I know he does, and I know he wants to see her. We always fight with each other when he comes by, so it's not easy. _

Mai took Rena into her arms as the girl came into reach. She mounted the stairs onto the stage and passed the piano and went to the back. She moved through a door and went up the stairs to a long corridor and another staircase. She heard talking down the hall, so she left down the hall to the room where talking was. A wry smile twisted her rouge lips seeing the man she was looking for. "I thought you said you would meet me on the stage, hon." Otogi Ryuuji sent her an abashed look, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that," he apologized meekly. Rena pointed a finger at him and screeched, "Otogi!" He laughed at her shout and took her from Mai, tossing her in the air and then catching her. "And how are you, little Rena?"

"Mommy and I ate pizza last night," she informed him. "It was yummy." He chuckled.

"I bet it was." Otogi shifted Rena and said to Mai, "This is Yami Mutou, Mai." Mai shifted her mauve gaze to the male beside Otogi. He had a soft, welcoming smile on his mouth – it was a nice mouth, she noted – and was handsome. He was about the same height as Otogi with crimson-brown eyes, a strange mixture she had never seen. It was almost a mahogany color. Not quite red, but not quite brown, either. Mai had only seen the man on TV from time-to-time and knew little about him except that he was a famous pianist. It was no surprise that Otogi, as a violinist and business owner of musical instruments, would become acquainted with the worldly known pianist.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Yami drawled in his deep, unintentionally seductive voice. Feeling a shiver run up her spine, Mai extended her hand and shook his. He smiled at her and then released her hand. He blinked and peered down at Rena who was hugging him around the legs, grinning up at him.

_An attention hog, _Mai observed dryly, _just like her father. _

Yami knelt down and asked gently, "And what is this young princess' name?" Rena's face lit up like a light bulb at being called a princess.

"_My _name is Rena," she announced to him. "What's _your_ name?"

"Yami," he replied with a smile. "Can the Princess Rena sing?"

"Everyone knows how to sing," Rena pointed out to him in a patient tone. "I sing lots of songs." He laughed and lifted her up, settling her on his hip.

"You and I will have to sing, then, won't we?" She bobbed her head in agreement, her blonde tail bouncing. Yami chuckled again and handed her to Mai, who took her, surprised by Yami's ease with her child. "She must have taken her father's looks."

"What?" Mai asked dumbly, before saying, "Oh. Yes. She did." She smoothed Rena's bangs from her forehead, planting a kiss on her forehead, leaving an imprint from her lipstick. Rena didn't bother to wipe it off. Mai could feel the pianist's eyes on her and felt a shudder run through her body. She didn't like being scrutinized so closely, especially by such an attractive man. It gave her a little thrill at the thought that he might be interested in her.

"So, Mai, you're going to see, uh, _him_, right?" Otogi carefully asked, not saying Jounouchi's name, knowing it would only upset Rena. Otogi had been pleasant friends with Jou and Honda, but he hadn't spoken to either of them since the divorce. He hadn't seen them and neither of them had sought him out. Otogi had been mildly interested in Shizuka, but didn't dare try anything now that Jou wasn't speaking with him. After all, he had a handful of women at his disposal.

"Yes." She turned to her friend, her lips turning down at the corners. "I shouldn't be very long, unless he decides to start something."

"What?" Yami's startled voice spoke up, making Mai look to him.

"It's nothing," she dismissed. "He never tries anything."

"Mommy?" Rena queried, patting her mother's smooth cheek. "Mommy? Who you talking about?" Mai turned her attention to her daughter and smiled.

"No one, Rena. Now, I have to go. Be good to Otogi, okay?" Rena nodded, but puzzlement was written all over her young, gentle features. Mai set her down and slid her fingers over her soft hair. "It was nice meeting you, Mr. Mutou – "

"Oh, don't be formal," Yami interrupted. "You can address me by my first name."

"Alright, hon. Yami, then. I'll pick her up at your place, Otogi."

"Have a blast," Otogi sarcastically answered with a cheerful tone to his voice. Mai scowled and gave him the finger. He snickered in response as Mai turned her back and started out of the room and down the hall.

X

Jounouchi cradled the phone against his shoulder as a knock came to the door. He groaned in irritation. Anzu had just called and he barely got to talk to his newfound friend. He usually wasn't able to make friends with _any_ female, so he enjoyed her phone calls and visits. "Hold on, okay, Anzu?" He said. She replied with an, "Okay." He set his glass of milk on the table in the kitchen and hurried to the door. He swung it open and stared at Mai Kujaku with a touch of surprise. He didn't see Rena, so he guessed she came to talk about business. He ushered her in and closed the door. "Hey, Anzu, I'm gonna have to call you back. Is that cool?" He paused for her to answer and then said, "Okay. Bye." He hung up, snapping his cell phone shut and tucking it in his pants. "Mai, what's up? You usually call."

No matter how many times he saw her, Jou would always admire Mai's beauty. Everything about her was soft and curving. She had the kind of confidence that his sister lacked. She wore everything that she knew her body looked good in and flaunted it without a touch of shame. Birthing a child had done nothing to mark her flawless body.

"Rena is missing you," she informed him tensely, following him to the kitchen. He took a drink of his milk as she continued, "She's always asking when you'll come over. What have you been doing? Just sitting around?"

"I've been working," he replied without any signs that he was about to blow up. "I've been helping a friend with her apartment, too. She just got it all situated."

_She? _Mai repeated in her mind, surprised.

"I tried calling a couple days ago, but you never answered the phone. I left a message on your voicemail. It's not my problem you never called back." Mai stared at his calm, careless manner as he drank the rest of his milk. He let out a sigh and went to the sink, rinsed the cup out, and set it in the sink. Usually he would be arguing with her right now.

"So...you're dating someone?" She questioned slowly. He blinked.

"Huh?"

"The girl on the phone. Anzu." _Why do I care? _She demanded of herself. _I could get a man in a snap, unlike this idiot. God, what did I ever see in him? _

"No, that's the friend I was talking about. I can have a friend that's a girl. It's not like it's against the rules of relationships or anything." His disgruntled tone warned her that she was getting close to pissing him off. Although an evil part of her encouraged her to provoke him, she quickly dismissed it and brushed her thick, blonde locks from her face.

"Well, whatever. I didn't come here to discuss your personal life anyway. I want to set up a permanent schedule for when you'll be visiting Rena. I want you to see her at least once a week."

"Mai, I drive trucks and move stuff into houses. I don't _have_ a schedule. You know that."

"Jounouchi!" She snapped, irritated. "Do you have any idea how much she misses you? Just because you send money doesn't mean that's enough!" She saw by the tightness of his jaw and the dark look that covered his face that he was about to start bitching at her. That was just fine with her. She was sick of his attitude. "You need to start acting like a father!"

"What the hell do you want me to do?!" He snarled. "This is the one job I'm good at and get paid well for! You want me to drop it just so that I can fix a permanent visiting schedule? Nuh-uh, no way, not happenin', doll face. I love Rena and I'd like to see her a lot more, but this is all I can offer, alright? I have to think of myself, too, ya know." For a long time, neither of them spoke, staring at each other angrily. The sound of the door opening and closing broke the tense silence.

"Hellooo!" Shizuka's bright voice chimed. "Big brother!"

"I'm in here," Jou called back, never taking his eyes off Mai's. When he next spoke, he was talking to Mai, "I don't have anything to do tonight or tomorrow. Why don't you let her stay over here for the night?" Mai's mouth tautened into a thin, white line, before she nodded.

"Fine, Jounouchi. I'll go home and get her an overnight bag. You can go ahead and pick her up from Otogi's and come to the house and get the bag." She turned just as Shizuka was entering the kitchen. "Hi, hon."

"Mai!" Shizuka greeted, hugging the older female briefly. "You look fabulous as always. How are you doing?"

"Good. Did you just get off of work?" Mai inquired in a civil manner.

"Yeah, I did. How is the real estate business working for you?"

"It's doing really well. I've become one of the top salespeople."

"That's great!" Mai exchanged a few more words with Shizuka before she departed. When Shizuka turned to look at her brother, her smile fell at seeing his agitated expression. "Jou! What's wrong?" She reached out to touch him, but he brushed her off and stormed away from the kitchen. A moment later, he emerged from his room with his car keys in hand and a jacket slung over his slender frame. "Jou...?" She received no response as he slammed out of the apartment. She winced as the door banged shut.

X

Otogi rose to his feet as his doorbell rang. He glanced at his watch. It was sooner than he had been expecting Mai to be finished. Rena was sitting at the kitchen table drawing pictures. She had already made two with her and her parents running in a flower field. He hadn't made any comment on them. What he wanted to say wasn't fit for a four-year-old. She wouldn't understand.

He pulled the door open and blinked in surprise, seeing Jounouchi on his porch. "Hey, Otogi," Jou greeted, flicking two fingers from his forehead in a casual salute. "Can I come in?" Otogi mutely stepped to the side to let him in. Jou glanced around and then turned to him with a lopsided smile. "I came to pick Rena up. She's going to stay the night at my house for the night."

"Does Mai know?" was all Otogi could think to say.

"How else would I know she was here?" Jou demanded with a note of irritation in his voice. "Jesus. I'm not gonna kidnap her for God's sake." Otogi decided not to say that was exactly what he had been thinking. He had never quite gotten used to Jou's confident, social manner. Jou was the very image of a flippant attitude. He had loose-fitted jeans, a white t-shirt with the Nike logo, sneakers, and a comfortable blue, denim jacket. Otogi had a more elegant outfit and wondered how it was that Jou and Mai ever thought to marry.

"Daddy!" A wail came and Otogi sighed as Rena launched herself at Jounouchi.

"Hey, there!" Jou enveloped her in his arms, pushing her face in his shoulder. She let out a squeal of delight, locking her arms around his neck. "Where have you been all my life?"

"Daddy, you know where I live!" She giggled. Otogi felt suddenly very uncomfortable in his own home. Even if he did suspect Jou of kidnapping Rena, he doubted he would be able to detach the girl from her father now. "I made a picture of you and mommy and me."

"Did you? What's it look like? Describe it to me."

"There's bunches of flowers and we're running through them. Mommy and I wear princess dresses and you have prince's clothes."

"It sounds beautiful," Jou said to her. He glanced at Otogi and asked, "Did she bring anything with her?"

"No, just her jacket. I'll get it, though." Otogi left and returned with her pictures and her jacket. Jou set Rena down and helped her into her jacket. He handed her the pictures, but she shook her head.

"You can have them, daddy," Rena informed him with a gorgeous, bright smile. Jou's own mouth curved upward pleasantly. Otogi saw a hint of remorse pass over Jou's face. It was gone as quickly as it had come. Jou thanked Otogi and then the two were in Jou's used Honda and down the road. Otogi didn't call Mai to confirm that Rena was supposed to be staying at Jou's house. Even after months of not talking to him, he knew Jou was trustworthy and would never do something like that to Mai, or Rena, for that matter.

X

Anzu sighed as she slammed the phone book shut and gave a weary look to the clock. It was almost time for lunch. Jou had called her last night, saying he'd like her to meet his daughter and that he would take her out to lunch. He was supposed to be picking her up by twelve, so she only had about thirty minutes until he arrived.

She got dressed in a denim skirt and a pink tank top, pulling on some socks that went to her knees and some black-and-white sneakers. She checked her hair and then went back to the living room to look through the phone book. She had yet to find an available accompanist. Her hopes of dancing were becoming very slim indeed. She had even checked to make sure she absolutely needed an accompanist and, sure enough, she did. How had she not known?

Anzu went to the door as soon as Jou knocked and blinked as he let himself in. "Hey!" He greeted happily. "Um, sorry," he added at her scowl. "I'm just used to walking right in." Her face softened in forgiveness.

"It's fine, Jou. Are we ready?" She grabbed her purse, her keys in hand.

"Yep." She followed him out and locked the door behind her. "Her name's Rena, by the way. She's four."

"She probably looks like her mother, huh?"

"Actually, she looks a lot more like me," he answered proudly. "Mai's hair and skin is lighter and her eyes are a different color. Yep, she's my daughter." Anzu chuckled and they exited the building to his car. She got in the passenger seat while Jou got in the driver seat. Anzu glanced in the mirror at Rena. She was a female version of Jounouchi. "Rena, this is my friend, Anzu Mazaki."

"Hi, sweetheart," Anzu cooed softly, turning to smile at the girl. Rena appeared unsure, but then at seeing Jou's encouraging grin, her mouth spread into a friendly smile, her wide eyes twinkling with delight. "I heard you stayed over at your dad's last night. Did you have fun?"

"Aunt Shizuka did my hair really pretty." She pointed to the two buns on each side of her head. "See?" Anzu nodded.

"It's lovely. You have to have long hair to do your hair like that."

"Uh-huh." For the rest of the car trip, Rena chattered to Anzu about her dolls, her friends at daycare, and even about her mother. Anzu had noticed how stiff Jou had grown when Rena began to talk about Mai, but she wasn't sure how to hush the girl up without offending her. She decided to touch her favorite subject with her friend's daughter: dancing.

"Can you dance, Rena?" She questioned when the girl paused to look at two dogs on the sidewalk.

"No," Rena replied, turning back to her, "but I can sing! Can _you_ dance?"

"I can. Maybe I'll show you sometime. Does that sound nice?" Rena, with huge eyes and a huge grin, nodded her agreement. "And then, you can sing for me."

"I'll sing now!" Anzu laughed as the girl started to sing a song about a fairyland and a princess being saved by the man of her dreams. She actually didn't have that bad of a voice for a child.

X

Otogi quietly closed the auditorium's doors, the piano music gliding over the room like the wind over a prairie. Different notes and melodies erupted from the massive instrument on the stage. Otogi knew too well by the melancholy in the notes who it was that was playing. He moved down the aisle to the stairs and climbed them. The heel of his expensive, black shoes made the slightest _click_ing noise. He moved around the piano to stand beside Yami Mutou. The pianist had his eyes closed and didn't even open them as he asked, "How long have you been here?"

"Only a while, but I heard the music from the lobby," Otogi responded. The song reached its crescendo, the rhythm changing, more notes swirling together, forming a cloud of emotions; it began to slow and notes fell out until only a few were left to end the piece. Yami opened his eyes and slid his hands to his lap. "Was the concert cancelled?"

"No," the latter answered with a light sigh. He stood up and moved away from the bench, circling around it so he could face Otogi. "No," he repeated. "However, they didn't like the pieces I was insisting on playing, so I've been cut out of the concert. I am not feeling up to frenzied music right now and I doubt that I will be at the end of the month." He gave his shoulders a graceful shrug. "Those are the kinds of things that happen."

"Of course," Otogi agreed with the slightest of smiles. "That's how life is. But don't think on it, Yami. Musicians play their music based on their feelings. What's got you down?"

"Everything," Yami grumbled, waving a hand distractedly. "I'm not sure how much longer I can handle the same things over and over again. I play the same pieces everywhere I go because those are the ones that the people know and have heard of. I need some excitement! Something that's more than just playing the piano!" He glanced at Otogi, a smile on his lips. "You think I'm out of my mind, don't you?"

"Not at all. I, on the other hand, _would_ be out of my mind if I had to only play the violin for my entire life. That's why I started my business. It keeps me occupied, not to mention the favors I do for Mai."

"Ah, yes. The gorgeous woman-friend of yours." Yami sent his companion a sly look, asking, "Are you sure you don't find her attractive yourself, Otogi?" Otogi laughed.

"No, I don't. Her ex-husband's sister caught my attention and she still has it. I can't go to her to obtain it, either, because her brother and I aren't on the best of terms any longer." He sighed a bit. "But you, Yami, you could try and hook up with Mai. I'm certain she's not uninterested." Yami shrugged. "What? What don't you like about her?"

"I usually don't go for women with children, let alone unresolved issues. And besides, she seems a bit vain." Otogi gawked at him.

"_All_ women are vain, what are you talking about?"

"I'm also looking for someone a little more serious now," Yami continued, ignoring Otogi's comment completely. "I'm twenty-five, going on to twenty-six. I'll be thirty soon and I'll still be unmarried. I want a child that will carry my name and has a mother that I love. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

"All you serious musicians are so romantic," Otogi said with disgust, a glint of humor in his emerald eyes. "_Now _I think you have lost your mind, my friend." Yami chortled, giving his head a shake.

"Perhaps."

"Actually – getting back on topic, here – Mai's ex-husband, Jounouchi, came to my house the same day you met her. He was picking Rena up for her to stay at his house for the night. It was the first time I saw him in a long time." Yami eyed Otogi's speculative expression and could tell that seeing his friend's ex-husband had been a shock to him. "He's a great guy, you know," Otogi continued faintly. "He doesn't give a damn what people think about him and is really a caring idiot. He adores Rena and I know her sentiments are the same. It's just...amazing...to see them together."

"He sounds like a wonderful father," Yami supplied.

"Well." Otogi shrugged, his eyes passing over the seats and balconies of the auditorium. "He _would_ be if he visited more often. I keep telling Mai that she should cut him off completely if he can't come and see his daughter every once in awhile, but all she said was that he had a job that had no real schedule and that he had to take care of his little sister, too. I guess I can understand that, but I still think Rena needs a more permanent male presence in her life."

"Has Mai tried dating again?"

"She has, but she's grown so picky these days that all she does is go to dinner with them, maybe sleep with them, and then – wham, bam – she's back at home, sulking. The divorce has killed her, I swear."

"It'll get better," Yami assured. "Sometimes it's hardest on the woman when it comes to divorce. She'll toss those picky habits soon enough."

"Mmm...I hope so."

X

Mai was furious. Just last night Jou had returned Rena to her, her cheeks flushed from playing at the park and her hair done in a cute style of buns on the sides of her head. Jou said he could do this every Friday and Saturday since he usually had those days off. Mai agreed. It wasn't that which pissed her off. It was what Rena talked to her about. When Mai asked what they did, Rena had replied, "Me, daddy, and Anzu had lunch and then we went to the park! Then Anzu – "

"Who's Anzu?" Mai had asked, wondering if it was another little girl that Rena had made friends with. She had completely forgotten the name from Jou's phone conversation.

"Daddy's friend." And that was what had caused Mai to get angry. She recalled Jou talking to someone named "Anzu" on the phone then when she had met with him and how he had called her a "friend." She couldn't believe that he had brought his girlfriend (who she assumed was probably some whore) with him on an outing with his daughter! The rage was more from jealousy than anything, but she wasn't willing to admit that. She hadn't yet dated a man – not for a respectable time, anyway – and here Jou was, flaunting his girlfriend around!

Well, that was what she was guessing, anyway.

On the morning after the night he returned Rena, she pounded in the numbers to his cell phone and waited while it dialed. She was so mad her hands were shaking. Jou's friendly voice chimed, "Hello?"

"You fucking bastard!" Mai shrieked at him.

"Whaaaa? Mai, what's your problem?" He demanded in a clearly astounded tone.

"You, that's what my goddamn problem is! Jounouchi, how could you bring your slut girlfriend with you when you were with Rena?"

"Hey, wait just a minute – "

"You shouldn't even be allowed to see her!"

"Mai, just chill for a second, will ya?" Jou snapped on the other land. "She _isn't _a slut and she _isn't_ my girlfriend. Her name's Anzu and she's _just a friend_. She's friends with Honda and Shizuka, too, so just cool it. Rena loved her, anyway."

"So you're trying to replace me?" Mai immediately asked, a crack snapping her heart in two. "Is that it, Jounouchi? Are you trying to make her hate me?"

"What? No! How could you think something like that?!"

"You tell me, Jounouchi, what will there be to live for if Rena doesn't need me anymore?"

"Wha...Rena will always need you. Would you stop overreacting?"

"I'm not!" Mai jerked her phone from her ear and stabbed the red 'End' button. She threw her cell phone across her room and then collapsed on her bed, sobbing in her pillow. _Why does he want to make her hate me so badly? Rena's all that I have. She's all that I need to keep living. He already broke my heart once. Why is he trying to do it again?_

X

DIS: Drama! Just a warning, this story isn't going to be focused _entirely_ on Yami and Anzu (as you can tell.) There's going to be all sorts of twists and loops that you'll feel like you're on a roller coaster. Yami and Anzu will probably be meeting here soon. Please review before leaving! I need to know what people think. Ciao!


	3. Meet Anzu Mazaki

DIS: I like to write this because there are so many conflicts besides Anzu's that are going on. It makes the story more fascinating. Thanks to innocentenough, drkmagiciangrl25, raygypsy714, journey maker, ANZU&ATEM FAN, Dartz's gyrl, and Midnight Chamber. And yes, to those you mentioned it, Mai _is_ crazy, lol.

X

_Chapter Three, Meet Anzu Mazaki_

Anzu stopped in front of the opera house, her mouth turned down. She had seen on the Internet that auditions for the ballet, _Swan Lake,_ would be held soon. The requirements included having an accompanist. Anzu wanted to get a big role of either the dark Odette or the normal Odette. Her chances of even auditioning were slim as she was still without an accompanist.

_I guess I'm stuck with my café job, _she thought sulkily. She turned away from the opera house and continued down the road to the café. This part of town was known for its musicians and artists. It was one of the reasons she enjoyed working at the café (other than that she was paid reasonably well.)

"There you are, Anzu!" Miho Nosaka greeted as Anzu entered the café. Anzu had become friends with Miho instantly. She reminded her so much of Shizuka. She was soft and sensitive with the gentle nature of a small animal. She was always willing to give a hand and the customers loved her. Anzu was surprised she hadn't yet gotten a boyfriend with the way she acted. "It's busy today," Miho said as she took off her apron and handed it to Anzu.

"That's okay." Anzu put her purse and jacket on the table, pulling the apron over her head. Miho took the strings and tied it at the back. "What are your plans for tonight?"

"Nothing yet." Miho flashed a smile and took her things and said, "Bye, Anzu."

"Bye. Have fun at your doctor's appointment." Miho made a sign of a gun with her fingers, pretending to shoot herself. Anzu laughed and waved her off. After she had placed her magnetic nametag to the apron, she went out to the cash register. She settled on the stool, waiting for a customer. The two other girls, Rika and Kanna, were talking by the flavoring bottles.

"Excuse me," a friendly, male voice spoke. Anzu's head turned back and she beamed at the handsome, eloquent male.

"Hello, welcome to Java Beans. What can I get for you?"

"Two sixteen ounce double-shot caramel mochas and with whipped cream," he answered, smiling in answer. After Anzu had given the order to Kanna, who made the coffee, he said, "I don't think I've ever seen you here, have I?"

"Um, no. I'm new to town," she responded, smiling. "I'm from Shibuya."

"Shibuya, huh?" He gave a curious look. "Why come to Domino? Unless you're a musician, that is..." He peered at her nametag, adding, "Anzu Mazaki." She laughed.

"I don't have a nametag to find your name."

"Otogi Ryuuji," he presented, reaching over the counter with his hand. She shook it briefly. "So, what brings you to Domino? If you're looking for being discovered by the music whores, you'll be disappointed."

"No, I'm not a musician. I'm a dancer. I came here because there are always auditions for dancing."

"Oh! So you're going to try out for _Swan Lake_?"

Kanna handed Anzu the two coffees and she set them in front of him, punching in the prices, as she replied, "No, I don't meet the requirements. That's seven-fifty." He gave her a ten.

"Keep the change as a tip. I'm curious, though. What requirement don't you meet? You're pretty, you're in good shape – what else do you need?"

Flushed from his compliments, Anzu said, "An accompanist. There isn't anyone available to accompany my dancing. I never knew I needed one until I came into Domino." She glanced behind him to make sure there weren't any customers behind him. "Shizuka told me."

"Shizuka Katsuya?" He ventured to ask. She nodded. "I know her. Her brother, too. Hmm...You know what, Anzu Mazaki? I think I might be able to help. I don't play the piano, but I _do_ play the violin – and well. I also happen to have a pianist friend that is currently without any work. I'm sure he'd be delighted to be your accompanist. How do you feel about that?"

"That would be _such_ a help!" Anzu felt hope bubble up in her. Both her father and herself had been searching desperately for an accompanist. Now, a stranger comes wandering in with an offer in his hands. She thought she saw the sun rising on the horizon in her fantasy world. "Do you want my number?"

"That would be a help." She scribbled it on a napkin and put her name on it. He grinned at her and handed her a card. She read the title: 'The Melody Shop.' The words beneath it said, "We can get you any instrument for your musical pleasures!" She raised her eyes back to his face. "You can see why I have connections to pianists." He winked at her and she giggled. He tucked the napkin in his pocket and took his drinks, telling her, "I'll be sure to call you soon, okay?" She nodded and gave a little wave as he left the café. Giddiness was overflowing in her.

_Finally! A chance at my big break!_

X

Otogi was feeling light headed as he walked to the room where Yami was practicing with a piano. A string group that was playing at the concert was practicing in the auditorium. He had gotten two lucky coins in one place – and from one person. He was almost certain Yami would agree to accompany the girl with her dancing, and Otogi was equally sure that if he asked, Anzu would re-introduce him to Shizuka Katsuya. He would finally be able to see her again. But then, that meant seeing Jounouchi, too. _If Anzu Mazaki is friends with Shizuka, she must be friends with Jounouchi as well, _Otogi assured himself.

"What took you so long?" Yami asked curiously as he stood from the piano and went to Otogi, taking the coffee. "I thought maybe someone had mugged you for the coffee," he joked. Otogi gave a light chuckle, taking a drink of his caramel mocha coffee. It was still a bit hot, but not so much that it would burn his tongue. He gave a smile to himself. "You seem happy. Did you meet a woman?"

"I did, but not in the sense you're talking about." Otogi lowered his cup, a wicked glimmer in his bright eyes. "A new girl that's friends with the woman of my dreams works at the café."

"Oh, is that right?"

"She's a dancer," he added.

"I see." Yami took a drink of his coffee

"She needs an accompanist." Yami lowered his cup and eyed Otogi. "She wants to audition for _Swan Lake_. Have you ever been the pianist for a dancer before, Yami?"

"No," Yami answered carefully. "You don't dare suggest...?"

"It would certainly brighten your life up, don't you think?"

"Hmm..." He had never thought of accompanying a dancer because he had never fully appreciated the art of dancing. He had only spoken to a few dancers in his career and he hadn't enjoyed their company one bit. Some were so foul-mouthed and bitter that he forgot they were dancers and considered them more like street whores. Others were too reclusive and rude. Otogi wouldn't bother suggesting her if she was that type of woman, however, so Yami had to pause before giving an answer. "Well...I'll have to meet her first. Is she still at the café? Maybe I'll go observe her."

"You sound a biologist, Yami," his friend said laughingly. Yami shrugged and started out of the room.

"I'll be back."

X

Yami had dumped the coffee Otogi had bought him in the lobby and had strolled down to the café with his hands in his pockets. He was uneasy with the idea of having to collaborate with someone in both music and dancing. He had always been alone and had liked it that way. There had been a few times he paired with Otogi on pieces that had a violin part, but that was a rare occasion.

He entered the café and glanced around. A smile touched his lips briefly as he flicked a look at the inhabitants of the café. There were a few well-known artists and musicians that he knew, all of which were absorbed in something other than who was coming in and out of the café. He glided towards the cashier and knew it was the girl by her slender frame. Her smile was not deceiving, though, and her voice was soft and sweet as she greeted, "Welcome to Java Beans. What's your fancy today?"

"A sixteen ounce double-shot caramel mocha, please," he ordered. "With whipped cream," he added as an afterthought. She tilted her head slightly before giving the order to the girl at the coffee flavor bottles. "It's a nice day today," he remarked idly. Her face was bright when she answered him.

"Yes, I know. I took the bus instead of driving. It looked like a good enough day to walk to work."

"It seems to be," he agreed. "I walked here myself. Have you been to the opera house yet?"

"I'm waiting for the right time," she explained to him with a light smile playing on her lips. The girl came and gave the coffee to her. She set it down in front of him and he noticed a bruise on her hand. She saw him looking and said sheepishly, "I smacked it against the wall."

"Ouch." She nodded and punched in the price for the coffee.

"Three seventy-five." He handed her a five dollar bill and three quarters. "Two dollars is your change."

"Hm?" He glanced at her outstretched hand with the two dollar bills. "Oh, no. Keep it as a tip."

"Thank you, then." She flashed him another smile and he smiled in turn. He turned from the counter and took a seat at a table by the window. He blew on his coffee carefully, watching the girl at the cash register. He recalled seeing the name 'Anzu Mazaki' printed in capital letters on a nametag. He watched Anzu deal with the customers with a bright smile and cheerful gestures. He watched as a blonde male entered and her face transformed to a warm welcome of familiarity. "Hey, Jounouchi." Yami knew immediately who the man was. The looks were so much like Rena's that it didn't take a genius to know. Yami wouldn't have even needed the name to know it was Mai's ex-husband.

_He certainly doesn't seem like the type of man Mai would go after, _Yami observed, watching Jou's graceless movements and his loose attire.

"Yo," Jou greeted in return, grinning crookedly. "Do I get a discount or somethin'?"

"You look like you need a coffee anyway," Anzu replied. "What do you want? A chocolate or vanilla granita?"

"A vanilla one. And a twenty-four ounce. Can you put chopped up coffee beans in it, too, Anzu?"

"Sure, Jou." Anzu gave the order to the girl behind her and turned back to her friend, asking, "Where's Shizuka? She usually comes with you." Yami saw the reluctant look cross the blonde's face and knew that he probably came because of his sister. Anzu seemed to notice it, too, because her eyebrows snapped down and she frowned. The difference was amazing. "What happened?"

"Oh, she's with Mai is all," he grumbled. "Rena's at daycare, so I didn't get to see her – I swear Mai did it to spite me. She had a tantrum because I let you hang with Rena. She thinks we're dating." He rolled his eyes as Anzu took the drink from the other girl and snapped the lid on more firmly. "But anyway, I guess they're out shopping. Mai has a meeting on this side of town and she can't take Shizuka back home, so I'm her ride."

"Well...If Mai has a problem with me being around Rena, I guess that's that," Anzu said, sliding the coffee towards Jou. "It's on the house."

"Anzu, Rena loved you! I don't see what the problem is."

"Yeah, but Mai's her mother and I don't want it to seem like I'm undermining her or anything." Jou's jaw dropped, but he just gave a huff and glowered irritably.

"I just don't see what her deal is," he muttered before giving a dark 'g'bye' and leaving the café.

Yami smiled to himself, finishing the last of his drink. He had to admit that Anzu Mazaki was something else. Anyone else would agree with Jou since he was Rena's father, but Anzu held her ground with her beliefs. He liked that. He got up and threw the cup away before leaving as well. _I guess I could try and see what I think about being her accompanist, _he thought to himself. _It wouldn't hurt. _

X

The next day, Anzu was woken up by her cell phone ringing. She rolled to her side and blinked blearily at her pink phone. She reached out and grabbed it, dropping her head on the mattress and flipping it open, mumbling, "G'mornin'..."

"Hello," a familiar voice greeted cheerfully. By the arrogant tenor in his voice, she knew it wasn't her father or Jounouchi that was calling. She suspected it was Otogi Ryuuji, the man she had met yesterday. "I must have woken you up, I'm sorry."

"No, no," she assured, yawning and glancing at the clock. The red, digital numbers read nine-oh-one. Pushing her fingers through her hair, she sat up in bed and said, "It's fine. I should be awake, anyway. But, um..." She trailed off, unsure of how to ask her question without being rude. She had been anxious since she had spoken to him. If his pianist friend declined, she wouldn't be able to try out for _Swan Lake_.

"I spoke to my friend," Otogi supplied on the other end, not mentioning Yami's spying on her. "He wants to give it a shot. He's never been an accompanist for a dancer because of his...somewhat jaded...views. But anyway, his name is Yami Mutou – you might've heard of him – and he is one of the more famous musicians here in Domino."

"I've heard of him, but I've never seen him or heard him play before."

"Then we'll have to remedy that."

"Does he live in Domino? Permanently?" Anzu asked, afraid she was going to end up without an accompanist if the man was only staying briefly.

"What? Oh! Yes, he does. He travels, of course, as all musicians do. He had a concert scheduled for the end of the month, but it has an upbeat sort of theme and he hasn't been in that kind of mood and wanted to perform pieces that were against the theme. So, he's been looking for something to do that was out of the original. It's a good thing you came when you did or he might have been long gone. Or, more like, it was a good thing you work at that café and I go to it." Anzu gave a light laugh.

"Yes, I suppose so."

"Yami and I will be at the opera house all day today in the auditorium. I'll tell the attendant at the front desk that we're expecting you if you can come today."

"That would be perfect. I don't have any other plans."

"Great! I'll see you later, then, Anzu – do you mind if I call you that?"

"Um, by my name?" There was a pause and then he laughed.

"Yami will love you. See you!"

"Bye." She hung up and flopped down in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. She let out an excited squeal of happiness, hugging herself and throwing her covers from her. She did a little dance as she went to her bathroom, throwing her long legs out. _I really have a chance! Finally!_

X

Yami heard the doors open, but he didn't pause in his playing. He kept his eyes closed as his fingers glided over the keys. He was a bit nervous about this meeting and hadn't been able to keep his hands off the piano keys. It was the only thing that was successful in keeping his nerves calm. There had never been anything more soothing to him than the soft notes of a piano drifting to him, filling his soul with a buoyancy that nothing else could accomplish.

Even as he heard Otogi talk, his nimble fingers continued over the keys, pressing lightly. When he was in college, his instructor had told him that it was a bad idea to play with his eyes closed. It had been a habit of Yami's that no one had commented on until then. His instructor demanded him to stop and so he tried playing with his eyes open. He distinctly remembered the astonished expression of the other man when Yami had made more mistakes than he ever would with his eyes closed. He was allowed to have his eyes shut after that day.

"Yami," Otogi said, next to his shoulder. Yami opened an eye and glanced at Otogi and the visitor. His fingers slipped to a wrong key and he flinched, jerking his hands from the piano, almost in disgust. He turned his eyes from the keyboard to meet the azure gaze of Anzu Mazaki. He could see she was surprised to see him.

"Was that one of Beethoven's pieces?" She asked instead of, _I met you yesterday at the café, didn't I? _

"Yes," he replied, rising to his feet and pasting a smile on his lips. "Do you recognize it?"

"Not by name," she answered kindly. "One of his sonatas, right? In G minor?" Both Yami and Otogi turned a surprise gaze to her and she blinked, blushing in embarrassment. "I...heard it once in a ballet." Yami decided not to comment on that, but was secretly impressed. He hadn't thought that dancers cared for classical music, just as many musicians didn't care for dancing. But, no; he was proved wrong. "I didn't know who you were when I talked to you at the café," Anzu quickly changed the subject. Otogi sent Yami a puzzled look. He had never mentioned talking to her.

"That's fine. Not many do know us lone pianists." He smiled, adding, "Unless we're connected to some kind of scandal." She laughed at his joke.

"_Anyone_ is known when they're connected to scandal."

"Tsk," Otogi sighed, "you two are already talking like old friends and I never even made the introductions!" He smiled at Yami's chuckle and Anzu's shame-faced expression. Otogi could see that Anzu was going to have an accompanist by the end of the day. Yami was naturally polite to anyone, of course, but his manner towards Anzu was more comfortable and easy. With Mai, Yami had been strictly polite and not very conversational. It was a good start.

"I think that introductions are unnecessary, my friend," Yami told him with a touch of amusement in his voice. He turned to Anzu and said, "Before I agree to anything, I'd like to test you – to see how good of a dancer you are. I don't want to commit to anything and have us not go anywhere, if you don't mind my bluntness."

"No, I understand," Anzu assured, a nervous look in her eyes. "But to be honest, I haven't danced in front of such a small audience, so I'm a little...antsy."

"We won't laugh. Now, if you saw _Otogi _try to dance, _then_ I would be laughing." Otogi chuckled.

"Yes, my dancing skills are lacking, for a polite term," he confessed. Anzu grinned.

"I'll play for you," Yami told Anzu. "Is this enough room for you to maneuver?"

"More than enough."

"Excellent. What would you like me to play?" He could see Anzu considering over it carefully. Then, she just sighed and shook her head, shrugging lightly.

"Anything that has a slow tempo to it works for me," she answered. "I don't want to push my luck with anything fast since I never did any warm-ups before I came."

"That's fine." He settled back at the piano, watching as Anzu moved from him, pulling off her jacket and tossing it to the side, along with her shoes. His eyes moved up her lithe frame without his assent. He saw Otogi watching him and jerked his eyes back to the piano, irritated at being caught. He made one last glance to make sure she was ready and started in on one of the slow pieces of Franz Liszt's. He saw Otogi's fixed attention and also drew his eyes to Anzu's graceful, moving form. It was as if clouds were drifting around her, pulling her with their pressure. He smiled lightly, noticing that her eyes were firmly shut. He stumbled over a key, but picked up his place without her noticing. He returned his attention to the piece and sighed through his nose.

When the song was ending, he glanced to Anzu and almost stopped altogether. Her arms were raised above her head in an arc, her knees beginning to bend as she slid to the stage. Her arms fell as she did and she was seated like a medieval lady would be when the last note faded. He lifted his foot from the petal on the piano and the note died in the air. Otogi turned to him and raised his eyebrows while Anzu picked herself up from the floor. Yami knew that look anywhere: a look of impression and encouragement.

"How did I do?" Anzu asked Yami as she came up to the side of the piano. He moved his eyes from Otogi's familiar, handsome features to her hopeful, lovely ones. He would say her face was foreign to him, but it seemed as though he had looked upon it as often as he had Otogi's.

Yami's mouth curved into a smile and he quietly replied, "You did beautifully."

X

DIS: I don't actually know that many piano pieces, but, like I said, I've been reading books about pianists, so I have a few references. I never knew a pianist Franz Liszt even existed until I read the book, _Liszt's Kiss_ by Susanne Dunlap. If any of you like historical novels, I would definitely recommend that or _Heart and Soul _by Sally Mandel. Both of them are about pianists and kick ass. Anyway, I'm rambling (I tend to do that when I get passionate about books, lol) so I'll bid you guys farewell! Please, pleaaassee send in reviews! I need to know how I'm doing here and if anyone likes this story! Ciao!


	4. Conflict within the family

DIS: Welcome, welcome! Yes, I am back with the fourth chapter of _The Notes Of My Heart_. Thanks to the reviewers – and the readers who like to not review, lol – and so here is the next chapter! Have a blast.

X

_Chapter Four, Conflict within the family_

Anzu appreciated Otogi's company as he walked her outside. She and Yami had exchanged numbers and he told he would call her to set up a date as soon as he could and they could get started after she signed up for auditions for _Swan Lake_. Otogi explained to her, as they left the opera house, that Yami had exhausted himself and would be better off being alone for awhile. "He's usually surrounded by someone constantly," Otogi had told her, "so it's good for him to get some alone time in."

"Why doesn't he just stay at home, then?" She had asked, knowing Yami was sure to have a grand piano at home. Just as a writer could not stop writing when they got an idea, or a chef could not stop cooking when they needed to blow off steam, a pianist could not be from their music for long.

"Although he needs his brief times alone, he can't stand not being around someone. He's naturally social. He gets lonely quick and usually depressed. He almost always needs someone around him. He substitutes it with his music usually, but he prefers a living, breathing person. I think that's why we get along so well. You'd be amazed at some of the conversations we have."

Anzu hadn't responded, puzzling over the pianist. She didn't doubt Otogi about Yami's dependence on social life. Both him and Otogi were easy, comfortable men that could start up a conversation with a stranger – they had done it with her. She was of the same manner and understood Yami's loneliness. She felt small and incredibly lonely in her apartment now that her father wasn't living with her. It had thrown her off balance the first day in her apartment when she was unpacking by herself.

_I should make friends with Yami, _she thought to herself as they arrived at her car a bit away from the opera house's entrance. _I could use someone interested in the same things as me. _

"Thanks for walking with me, Otogi," she said, smiling.

"No problem, Anzu. I actually wanted to ask you a favor, so my intentions weren't purely honest." He gave a smirk of mischief that made her giggle. It certainly wasn't the right expression for him. When she gestured for him to ask for his favor, he sighed and looked from her. Then he turned back to her and said, "I want you to give me safe passage into the Katsuya household."

"Uh...I don't have their keys..." She said uncertainly.

"No, no, that's not what I mean. I want to see Shizuka. I like her. She's a sweet girl. I used to like her brother, too – not that I don't – but he hates my guts. Unfortunately, when he and Mai divorced, I was forced to take sides and I chose Mai since she would be needing more support than Jou. He had Shizuka and Honda. Mai didn't have anyone but Rena. So, because I stayed with Mai, Jou got pissed off and pretty much called me a traitor. I mean, when he came to pick Rena up at house some time ago, he was civil and acting nice, but I know he hasn't forgiven me."

"Oh..." Anzu replied dim-wittedly to his long explanation. "Well...Whenever you can get away, give me a call and I'll see what I can do. I don't want to cause conflict with Jou, either, so we can try and do it at a time him and Honda are gone."

"_Thank _you, Anzu," he told her with a clearly relieved tone, taking her hands and squeezing them to accent his point. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

_I do if you've got a crush on Shizuka, _Anzu answered him silently. She smiled at him instead and bid him goodbye as he left back to the opera house, waving his arm. She got in her car and shoved the keys in the ignition. After pulling away from the curb, she vaguely wondered who this ex-wife of Jounouchi's was.

X

Anzu heard shouting inside the house of her friend's and winced, wondering if she should just come back later. Instead, she turned the knob and let herself in as both the Katsuyas had bid her to do. She blinked, staring at the mess in the apartment. Shizuka was a horrible clean freak. She couldn't imagine her letting Jounouchi to this. Said female came flying out of the kitchen and let out a horrified shriek, staring at the mess with her hands pressed to her cheeks. "JOUNOUCHI!" She shrilled, slamming her hands down to her sides. "If you don't get your butt in here and clean this mess up – "

"I'm still looking for my car keys!" He shouted back at her from somewhere at the other part of the apartment.

"I AM GOING TO RIP OUT EVERY ONE OF YOUR BLONDE HAIRS IF YOU DON'T COME CLEAN THIS UP!"

"FINE, BUT I CAN'T GO GET ANY MILK!"

"I DON'T CARE!" Shizuka thrust her hands in her hair, staring with wild eyes at the dismantled living room. Anzu gave a sympathetic look to her and shut the door, making her presence known. Shizuka turned, her face pale. She immediately went to Anzu and started crying in her shoulder. Anzu hugged her friend comfortingly while Jou came into the living room with a bright expression on his face. His keys were hanging from his index finger.

"Found 'em," he announced unnecessarily. "Oh, hey, Anzu."

"Just go get the milk, Jounouchi," Anzu said with a sigh. He blinked, took one glance at his sister, and hastily left the apartment. Shizuka sniffed as the door closed and drew out of Anzu's embrace, her brow puckered with irritation. Anzu laughed softly, saying, "It's just a bit of a mess, Shizuka. It's not the end of the world."

"It's the end of _my_ world." Anzu shook her head and guided the younger female to the kitchen and sat her down. She removed her jacket and dropped it on the table with her purse. It was amazing how comfortable she was in the Katsuya household, not to mention how comfortable she was with them. She instantly went to the coffee pot, poured Shizuka a cup and handed it to her, setting the sugar and cream on the table before she took her things and went and put them in the closet by the door. "Thanks, Anzu," Shizuka mumbled when she returned to the kitchen.

"It's fine, Shizuka. We'll clean the mess up later." Anzu got herself a cup of coffee and as soon as she sat back at the table, she asked, "Do you remember Otogi Ryuuji?"

Shizuka raised a startled, chocolate gaze to Anzu's curious, ocean-blue one. She could see the innocence on the face, not to mention the tone in which the question was asked, but she couldn't help but feel defensive. Otogi's name hadn't been mentioned to her in years unless he was being cursed about. She hadn't heard from him since Jou's divorce, even though she wanted to. He was only three years older than Jou's twenty-three years. Otogi was the same age as Mai.

Shizuka hadn't wanted to take his flirtatious advances seriously, but Mai had told her woman-to-woman that Otogi's usual flighty ways had abruptly stopped and he had remained without a woman since he met Shizuka. Whether they were with other people or alone, he was always tender with her and it made her feel special. She had known by Jou's suspicious looks that he hadn't trusted Otogi around his sister in the least. She had been fifteen when she met Otogi and had been seventeen when she last saw him. She had thought it ridiculous that she could fall in love with someone as young as she was, but the way her heart stuttered at his name and how her stomach churned in anticipation made her hesitate in her theory.

"I remember him," Shizuka said presently, her eyes fixed on her coffee. "Why?"

"I talked with him today," Anzu responded casually. "He was asking about you." Shizuka's head shot up so she could meet Anzu's gaze. Her older friend's mouth curled into a smile. "You like him, don't you?"

"...He's way too old for me," Shizuka muttered, "and he thinks of me as more of a sister than anything." She was lying to herself and both of them knew it. "But...um, what did he say?"

"He wanted to see you and he wanted me to be his 'safe passage,' as he put it. I told him I'd figure something out."

"N-no!" Shizuka gasped out, her cheeks warming. "Jou would be furious if he knew!"

"Shizuka, Otogi really does want to see you," Anzu sincerely said. "Jou will have to make a sacrifice for his little sister." She reached over and took Shizuka's hands in hers. She didn't like going up against Jounouchi, her best friend, but had seen the hope and eagerness in Shizuka's eyes before she had discouraged herself. And the way Otogi had thanked her made her certain that his intentions were good. She knew he _was_ older than Shizuka, but she consoled herself by thinking that it would be worse if he was forty. _Then _she would have a problem with it.

"Wait." Shizuka suddenly gave Anzu a confused look. "How did you even meet Otogi?" Anzu's face lit up and she instantly told Shizuka all about how his going to the café and offering to get her an accompanist and how she had met Yami Mutou the day after. Shizuka looked bemused after her story ended and said, "Wow. I've never even heard of Yami Mutou, to be entirely honest. I don't think Otogi's ever spoken about him – " She stopped suddenly and frowned. "But then, I've never had any musical interests..."

"So what?" Anzu demanded. "That doesn't mean you two can't like each other!" Shizuka stared at her and smiled faintly.

"You sounded like Mai for a minute. She said the same thing about her and Jou when I told her how different they were." Shizuka laughed slightly. "It's kind of ironic, though. That was the whole reason she and Jou started fighting. Jounouchi said he couldn't stand how narcissistic she was – I told him all women were like that, but he ignored me – and how she was always nagging at him about his appearance. He said that she was too focused on what other people thought about them that she forgot about their marriage. I don't entirely disagree, but Mai was a good sister-in-law to me."

"She doesn't sound like the kind of person Jou would marry," Anzu remarked. "I always imagine him with someone sporty, someone who likes to have fun. Like one of those hairdressers that are always cheerful and making helpful suggestions."

"You wouldn't believe how surprised strangers are when they realize Jou and Mai used to be married." Shizuka fingered her cup and quietly continued, "Mai really loved him, Anzu."

"He's a good guy."

"I know, but Jou...You wouldn't think he cared in the least about the divorce. He just brushed it off like it was a daily occurrence, like spilling a glass of milk. Mai is insanely jealous now because she thinks that you and him are dating. Jou's never hung around anyone but Honda – it's always been that way – so she's really upset."

"I don't think your brother knows how much he hurt her, Shizuka," Anzu slowly said. "Some people are like that." _Like my mom, _she added to herself silently. Shizuka could see the sadness masked beneath Anzu's voice, though she didn't question her about it. She had a feeling that Anzu wasn't ready to talk about it yet.

X

Honda looked up from the magazine he was going through and shook his head, grinning. "What are you doing here, Jounouchi?" He demanded of his friend that had just wandered into the corner store. He wasn't sure what it was that made him and Jounouchi get along so well or stand each other's company, but whatever it was seemed to work well for them since they were still friends after their years in junior high and high school.

Honda had thought that Jou wasn't ready for a kid when he ended up getting Mai pregnant while they were engaged, but he had been proved wrong. Jou had matured once his child was born. Honda had been surprised that Jou insisted in being with Mai while she had their child as Jou was squeamish when it came to those kinds of things. He hadn't even been very willing to go to birthing classes with Mai.

And even now, a year after Jou's divorce, Honda was still unused to not seeing Mai or Rena trailing behind his friend when he was off work. He had been surprised, just as Shizuka had been, at Jou's complete nonchalance after the divorce. He really hadn't seemed to give a damn, even though Honda knew Mai had practically crash landed in a different universe without her husband.

"Getting milk," Jou grunted as he passed his friend. Honda abandoned the magazine and followed his moody friend, wondering what his reason for irritation was this time. "I got bitched at by Shizuka for practically no reason at all!" He fumed to Honda, who raised his eyebrows.

"Okay...Well, if it was _practically _no reason, it was probably a huge reason to your sister, knowing her." Honda had gotten over Shizuka in a snap like he did with all women. Rejection was becoming normal for him. That definitely was not a good thing. He always got the same response: "Let's just be friends." It was as if they thought he would be better being gay or something.

"Whatever." Jou went to the back of the store where the milk was, grumbling, with Honda following. As soon as Jou had the two gallons of two-percent, they went up to the cashier, standing behind a purple-haired girl.

Honda checked his watch to see what time it was and heard the girl give a surprised exclamation of, "Oh, no! Um..." He looked up to see what the problem was and saw the irritated scowl on the cashier's face. "I'm sorry, I don't..." She trailed off uncertainly, blinking her wide eyes.

"How much do you need?" Honda asked politely, getting out his wallet. She turned to him, startled. "I'll give you the money." He let his mouth stretch into a friendly grin and she flushed, bowing her head shyly.

"Five dollars..." She replied meekly. He gave the cashier the five dollars while she fished out two quarters and a penny for the rest of the amount. The cashier punched in the numbers and the cash register _ding_ed before the drawer thrust out. The elderly man stuffed the money in and growled out, "Have a nice day," even though he probably didn't mean it.

"Man, you're such a sucker," Jou told Honda as he threw down the milk. Honda merely shrugged. After Jou paid for the milk, they headed outside where Jou's car and Honda's motorcycle was. The girl was outside and rushed to them as soon as they exited the store. Jou glanced at her, and then at Honda, saying, "I'll talk to you later, Honda." Honda nodded, raising his hand in farewell.

"I...never got to thank you," the female said, her voice soft, her eyes staring up at him. He thought they were an attractive lavender color, the same as her long hair that was tied up in a yellow ribbon. "I don't want to just take your money and not pay it back – "

"Hey, it's no big deal," he answered, smiling. "I don't mind helping someone every once in awhile. Besides, you seem like a really nice girl and that cashier was being an ass." She blinked and then giggled, her face going a bit pink at the compliment.

"I still want to repay you."

"If you give me your name, that'll be enough."

She looked baffled and queried, "What? Really?" He nodded. "Um...Well...It's Miho Nosaka. But if you really do want your money back, you can come to my work some time and I'll pay you back. I work at Java Beans."

"No, I don't want it back." He flashed another disarming smile. "But maybe I'll come by for coffee, Miho Nosaka." He waved at her and left to his motorcycle. When he got on it with his helmet on, she was already in her tiny Kia Rio and backing out. He gave a goofy grin to himself that he was glad she couldn't see and drove out of the parking lot, speeding down the roads with the wind whipping past him.

X

"Miho, are you alright?" Miho blinked and turned to look at Anzu. Anzu was usually cashier, but Miho sometimes had to take the job on herself. It was generally herself, Kanna, and Rika that alternated the waiting and coffee making. Miho hadn't been able to keep the orders right today, though, so she wasn't doing much of anything. Her mind kept straying to the kind male at the store yesterday. No one had ever done something so nice to her.

"Yes, I'm fine," Miho assured. _Just upset because I never got that man's name, _she silently said to herself. And she was. She had given him her name, but hadn't gotten one in return. If she knew men – and she did – she suspected he wouldn't actually ever come in for coffee. There was a three-day calling rule for dating. She wondered what the rule was for this situation.

"You seem a bit spacey."

"I guess I am a bit. Sorry. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Which was true. It just wasn't why she was spacey. A little white lie never hurt anybody.

"Did I tell you I finally found an accompanist?"

"Really?" Miho questioned, thankful for the change in topic.

"Yeah. His name's Yami Mutou. He's supposed to call me sometime. I signed up for auditions for _Swan Lake _today. I never got a chance to do it yesterday because I had to meet with him and then helped Shizuka clean a mess that her brother made while looking for his keys." Miho laughed. "They gave me all the papers for it and how I had to dance. I'm trying to get the part of Odette."

"Well, I hope you do well, Anzu," Miho said, smiling. "I know that you have the potential, even though I've never seen you dance before. You move so smoothly and I don't think I've ever seen you trip over your feet once. That's a good sign!" Anzu chuckled and turned back to the cash register as a customer entered. She froze, staring at the beautiful woman that entered. She looked like some kind of model with her lush, blonde hair, soft complexion, and slender body. Her violet eyes locked on Anzu's as soon as the door shut behind her and she smiled at her.

"Hi, hon," she said to Anzu before she was given a chance to greet her. It was then that Anzu noticed a little girl trailing behind her. "I'd like a triple cappuccino."

"Would you like whipped cream on that?" Anzu queried politely with the woman shaking her head in answer. Almost as soon as she spoke, a voice cried her name out. The woman turned to her daughter and then her eyes shot to Anzu's nametag. A hostile look entered her eyes and Anzu took a step back in surprise.

"Anzu!" Rena repeated. Anzu hesitated and then leaned over the counter to look at Rena. The girl's face lit up and she reached her arms up for her to pick her up. Anzu had to ignore her as she leaned back from the counter, seeing the cold look on the beautiful woman's face. _So this is Jounouchi's ex-wife. _

Mai felt a rush of jealous rage souring up to meet her. The female before her was pretty, that much wasn't denied, and she was shorter than Mai with gentle features and an attractive body. Rena had mentioned that Anzu could dance and it showed. She had the body of a dancer. And she was young. That was what really pissed Mai off. She was closing in on being thirty while this...this Anzu Mazaki...was probably younger than Jounouchi. Mai had never felt the want to smash someone's face in very often – and usually it had never been a woman she felt the malice for – but right then she wanted to launch herself at Anzu and beat that pretty little face beyond repair.

Instead, she calmed herself and considered just spitting in her face.

She didn't. She spoke to Anzu in an amazingly steady tone, "I didn't know Jounouchi's girlfriend worked in a coffee shop." Originally, Mai was planning on going to the opera house since Otogi was working with some violinists and thought to see if he wanted to go out for lunch with her and Rena. Instead, she was faced with_ this_.

"I'm not dating Jounouchi," Anzu responded, uncomfortable with the woman. Miho carefully set the triple cappuccino on the counter. Anzu nervously pushed it forward, saying, "Here's your coffee."

"Thanks for lying to me, since everyone else seems to think it's okay." Mai slapped her hand against the cup. Anzu flinched as the lid snapped off and hot liquid flew onto her apron and a bit on her arms. She was lucky it didn't burn her arms. When she turned her gaze from her wet garments, everyone in the café was staring as Mai marched out the door with Rena in her arms. It slammed behind her.

"I'll cover for you here," Miho quietly said to Anzu. "Go home and get cleaned up, okay?" She touched Anzu's shoulder and the latter just nodded, trudging to the back room, ignoring the curious stares of the customers and Rika and Kanna. She slumped at the table, undoing the strings behind her back. She tossed the apron to the side and pressed her face in her hands, holding back the tears of hurt and frustration that welled behind her lids.

Taking a careful breath, Anzu stumbled to her feet and grabbed her things, ignoring her coffee stained shirt. She hoped to whatever god that was above that she never encountered Mai Kujaku again. Because if she did, she had a feeling she might get a little pissed off because of this incident of hers.

X

Otogi was saying farewell to one of his students when he spotted Mai storming towards him. His smile slid off his face while the male left to join his friends. He could tell by her stiff walking and the way Rena was crying that something had happened. He moved towards her in worry, thinking that Jounouchi and her might have fought in front of Rena. As soon as he got close enough, Rena let out a wail and threw herself against Otogi's legs. He brought her into his arms and his eyebrows knitted together in concern as he looked to Mai. "Do you know the girl down there at the café?" She snarled at him as soon as his jade eyes met hers. "Anzu Mazaki?" She added.

"Anzu?" Otogi repeated blankly. "Sure, I know her. Why? Is something wrong?"

"Of course there's something wrong!" Mai snapped furiously. "The fucking bitch – " Rena started crying loudly again and Mai seemed to strangle herself with the words that she wouldn't allow to erupt. For a long time, no one spoke as Rena sobbed into Otogi's shoulder. He hushed her gently, stroking her blonde curls, so curly like Mai's, but the color of straw like Jounouchi's. "I hate her," Mai said simply when Rena wasn't crying as hard.

"I can see that..." Otogi slowly said. He heard someone call his name and he turned to see Yami arriving. He had been at a party, he recalled, and told Otogi he would meet him here after his class was done. Yami raised his hand in greeting and Otogi waved a bit to him. As soon as he arrived, Otogi asked, "Can you take Rena inside, Yami? Mai and I need to talk alone."

"Certainly," Yami replied smoothly, taking the girl from Otogi. "I'll play you something. How does that sound, princess?" Rena nodded silently, curling against him. Yami smiled lightly and nodded to Mai in greeting before leaving them.

"Alright, Mai," Otogi sighed, turning to look at his friend, "explain to me what you've got against Anzu. As far as I know, she's new here and hasn't done anything wrong to you."

"She's obviously a slut!"

"Mai!" Otogi scolded. "You hardly know the girl. How can you make conclusions like that?"

"She _just_ arrived in town maybe a week ago and she's already dating Jounouchi – "

"I never heard of this."

" – and she's working on you it looks like, too, hon. What does that say?" Otogi grimly assessed his friend and almost sighed aloud. He had known, since the first time Mai started dating again, that she was still deeply in love with Jou. Her sudden burst of jealousy made it obvious enough. He hated to see her attaching herself to a man that obviously had moved on. He doubted Anzu was dating Jou or she would have said something. Besides, he knew enough about Anzu Mazaki that she wasn't "working on him" like Mai suggested. She was naturally friendly and he was sure that she would be nice to Mai, too, despite her being Jou's ex-wife.

"Well, perhaps you had better discuss this with Shizuka, Yami, and Honda, too," Otogi quietly suggested to her. Surprise crossed her features when he said Yami's name. "Yami met her yesterday – just as I did – and decided to become her accompanist. He wouldn't partner up with just anyone. And trust me, she's not dating Jounouchi."

"...I threw coffee on her," Mai told him, her anger fading. "How do you know she's not dating Jou?"

"Because, dear," Otogi said with a smile, "her heart doesn't go out for men like him." She looked away from him, clearly uncomfortable with his words. "You still love him, Mai. Why don't you just admit it?"

"The only reason we started fighting," she sighed, "was because he stopped loving me. It wasn't because we were different – we could overlook that as long as we loved each other. Everyone thinks it's because of that, but it's not. I know Jou could be better, but he made me happy, Otogi. He made things fun and he's so good with Rena..." Her expression turned bitter. "Rena instantly knew Anzu when we walked in the coffee shop."

"They're not dating, Mai," he repeated, just like Jou had, just like Anzu had.

"I know." She sighed, smiling sadly to herself. "I just...I can't stand thinking of another woman getting close to him. No one's been willing to except for me. And friendship can always evolve into something more, Otogi. She's perfect for Jou. She's friendly, pretty, young..." She gave another sigh. "If she takes Rena from me...What will I do?"

"Rena will always love you more, Mai," Otogi said, drawing her into a hug. She was almost taller than him. "I promise."

"Thank you, hon," she mumbled, drawing away and letting her rouge lips curl the slightest bit. "You're the only friend I know in this whole damn world."

_I know, Mai, _Otogi thought sadly, _I know. _

X

DIS: You know what's strange about this fic? I usually _never_ have Mai, Honda, Jou, Miho, or Otogi in my stories. Now they're part of a huge plot! Amazing, isn't it? Please leave a review before continuing in the real world. Reviews make a happy author, even if they're full of criticism. Ciao!


	5. Life's not so perfect

DIS: Welcome back to my Yami/Anzu fic! (Even though you haven't seen any Yami/Anzu action going on.) Thanks goes to **journey maker, Adsica, raygypsy714, Midnight Chamber, Liz, Shire cat, Innocent enough, **and **ANZU&ATEM FAN** for reviewing. Hugs and kisses to you all!

X

_Chapter Five, Life's not so perfect _

A few days later, Anzu was still seething about what her friend's ex-wife had done to her. She could hardly believe the woman! She had never even seen her, nor had she talked to her in her entire life. She couldn't understand what she could have done that would cause an enmity between them. As she considered over it while she practiced her dancing, she recalled Mai accusing her of dating Jounouchi. Sighing, Anzu spun on her foot, closing her eyes so that she could close out the sounds of her neighbors. _Shizuka was right, _Anzu vaguely thought, her hair flying against her cheeks. _Mai really did love Jounouchi. She still does. I think she even knew that I wasn't lying. _

Her phone's ringing interrupted her peaceful dancing. She let her arms drop and her body stilled. Wiping some sweat from her forehead, she walked to the kitchen where her cell phone was and flipped it open, pressing the red button, answering, "Hello, this is Anzu Mazaki."

"Good morning, Miss Mazaki," a deep, friendly voice greeted her on the other line. A tiny shiver traveled up her spine at the familiar voice of Yami Mutou's. "How are you?"

"I'm...fine," she ended lamely. She hadn't told anyone what Mai had done to her, not even her father. Seiji had been dating a woman a few years older than him and was in a state of euphoria. She didn't want to ruin his happiness just because some blonde bimbo decided to crash _her _happiness. Everyone else she knew liked Mai, except for Jounouchi, but she was afraid he'd do something rash in response.

"Oh?" There was a hint of skepticism in Yami's voice that made a wave of guilt wash over her. Of course he would have heard the grimace in her words. "I can be a good listener."

"Thank you, but it's better I not talk about it. I don't want to upset anyone."

"Why? Did someone do something to you?" Anzu remained silent, debating on whether to tell him. He only gave her a minute before continuing, "Since we're going to be working together, we should treat each other as friends, don't you think? And as friends, we don't keep secrets. I dislike deceitful actions. I'm sure whatever you have to say won't upset me."

"...Alright. Since you're insisting." She paused, turning to look out the window of her living room. "Do you know Mai Kujaku?"

"Vaguely."

"She came to the café and she was mad because I'm friends with Jou – although she was accusing me of dating him. So...She threw coffee on me. Rena was there, too. That was the only reason Mai knew who I was." When she was finished, he didn't immediately say anything. She couldn't hear anything in the background on the other line at first. She could hear him shifting and then a small sigh.

"I see. Basically, then, Mai still has some feelings for Jounouchi."

"That's what I think."

"I'm sorry you had coffee thrown on you, Anzu." His voice was sincere. "I _do_ know Mai, but I can't say I find myself getting close to her – as a friend or otherwise. However, I would advise not to...provoke her...in any way. She isn't the kind of woman you want as an enemy."

"I don't want her as an enemy, either, Yami. I'm trying to make friends here in Domino. I wouldn't want one of my friend's ex-wife being my adversary."

"Well, we'll see," he said dismissively. "She'll get over it eventually. Now! For the reason I called...Can you get down to the opera house right now for practice or are you busy? I wanted to look at the papers they gave you for the auditioning. They _did_ give you papers, right?"

"Oh. Yes. Let me shower and I'll be down there right away."

"Excellent. See you then!"

"Bye." She snapped her cell phone closed and stared out the window for a moment before giving a heavy sigh. She had come to Domino for a new life and to make friends, something she had never had before. Instead she was left with a bunch of people she couldn't talk to about her problems because a person they adored was the core of her problem. It was good to talk to Yami about it, though, even if he didn't give her any necessarily helpful advice. It was nice to just get it off her chest.

_But it's time to forget that, _she told herself as she moved to her bathroom. _I have to practice like crazy if I want that part in _Swan Lake_! My problem with Mai doesn't compare to _that _problem. _

X

Otogi heard an unfamiliar piece playing in the auditorium. He had been planning on meeting Yami that morning, but a bunch of musicians needed new instruments because theirs had been stolen. It had taken all morning and into the afternoon for him to satisfy them. When Otogi entered the auditorium, he realized that the music he was hearing was a sound recording. He quietly moved up the aisle and paused, folding his arms across his chest. Yami was leaning against the piano, watching Anzu's dancing to the music. He had to admit, Yami had picked one hell of a dancer to accompany. She was the type of woman both of them were unused to. Otogi couldn't help but think she had a bit of the two close women in his life: Shizuka and Mai.

Yami jabbed at something on the piano and the music stopped, as well as Anzu. She eyed Yami with a slight frown. "You're making yourself think too much," Yami informed her, unaware of Otogi's silent presence. "You're moves are clumsy and your face isn't relaxed."

"I thought you didn't know about dancing," she retorted with an ill-tempered note to her voice.

"Dancing is like music," Yami languidly replied, waving one of his beautifully manicured hands in the air. "If you think too much on what you're playing, your face screws up, you make more mistakes, and you're bad altogether. I'm not saying you're bad," he added as her mouth flew open to protest. "You're a wonderful dancer, Anzu, but you're about to audition for the main part in a ballet and the judges are not going to go soft on you. You have to have a relaxed body, through and through." He snapped his fingers, saying, "And if you make a mistake, you have to pick it up right away. I think that's your worst problem."

"Thank you, Mr. Dancing-And-Music genius," Anzu dryly said. He smiled good naturedly, not in the least offended by her sharp attitude. Anzu sighed lightly and pushed a hand through her hair. "I guess you're right. I did think my movements were a little...jerky."

"At least you acknowledge it." Yami turned to spin towards the tape recorder, but paused, his eyes resting on Otogi. "Once again, you've managed to sneak in without my noticing, Otogi." The ebony-haired male gave him a cocky smirk and sauntered up to the stage, tipping his head back to look up at them. "How long have you been there?"

"Not long at all," Otogi responded. He glanced at Anzu, who he noticed was looking at him with a sort of grim expression in her eyes. He couldn't forget Mai's sudden abhorrence for the young dancer and wondered if it was that in which she was thinking of. It wouldn't have surprised him if that were the case. As soon as he met Anzu's gaze, she looked away, letting her eyes drop instead to her bare feet. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"No, I think we're about done here," Yami answered, flashing a quick look to his watch. "We've been at it since this morning." He smiled at Anzu, who beamed back at him. Otogi was certain by the faint haze that slid over Yami's eyes that he had noticed, just as he had, how weak her smile was. "How about we continue tomorrow?" Yami questioned. "We can work on the problems I mentioned."

"That'd be great. I'll come at the same time I did today," Anzu said. She turned her back to them to gather her things and put her sandals on. Yami watched her for a moment before turning to look at Otogi. "Bye!" She called. Yami waved to her as she hurried from the stage and towards the doors. Otogi joined Yami on the stage and by the time he had gotten to his friend, the doors had quietly shut behind her.

"Your friend threw coffee on my dancer some time ago," Yami told Otogi, putting a hand on his hip idly. "Did you know that?"

"You're speaking of Mai," Otogi flatly said.

"I don't know any other person that you call a friend." Yami turned from him and unplugged the tape recorder and wound the cord around it. Otogi watched his movements and saw a slight stiffness in his companion's limbs. It was the first time that Otogi had ever seen Yami truly angry. He had seen him frustrated, irritated, but never pissed off at something. Otogi wasn't sure he wanted to be around when the pianist was in such a mood.

"I can't control Mai's actions, Yami. If she pours coffee on Anzu, then that's what she does."

"Simply because Anzu _talks_ to her ex-husband?" Yami shot back, glaring at Otogi over his shoulder as he collected sheets of music and straightened them together. He stuffed both of them in a loose, black case, waving his tape recorder slightly as he continued, "What kind of person does that? It's childish behavior!" He then slammed the tape recorder into the case, too.

"Mai is hurt – " Otogi began, prepared to defend his friend.

"Every divorcee is hurt," Yami interrupted.

" – and she still loves Jou – "

"That's no excuse."

" – and she's afraid Rena will start loving Anzu more." Yami had no reply to that as he stood there, slipping the buckles of the bag into place to shut it. Neither of them spoke, nor did Otogi try to catch Yami's gaze. He could tell he was considering over that. "Are we going to fight because they are fighting, Yami?" Otogi's question was quiet and sad.

"No," Yami assured, raising his eyes to Otogi's and smiling slightly, "of course not. But Anzu's mind was preoccupied today and she didn't perform as well as she could have. If Mai continues to thwart her at every chance she gets, I will have to step in. Anzu can get into that ballet as Odette and I intend on making it so she does. I agreed to accompany her to win, not to lose, Otogi. Losing is not something I'm accustomed to."

"I know that, but you have to understand Mai's position – "

"And you have to understand Anzu's, Otogi, something that I think you're forcing yourself to ignore," Yami intercepted harshly, his eyes narrowing. "She has just arrived here in town, has made friends, and is hardly used to Domino when some strange woman that she has never seen in her life decides to attack her. She needs to understand that, even if Jou and Anzu were dating, it's not her business any more. She and Jounouchi are finished. What happens in his personal life happens. That's the magic of divorce: they don't butt into each other's business any longer." Otogi surveyed him coldly, but Yami was unaffected, his own face set in a hard mask. "I'm not going to cause conflict between you and I, but I won't bluff, nor will I defend someone _with_ lies. I should hope you would do the same."

"I think you've said what you wanted to, Yami," Otogi stated in an icy tone.

"And I think you have some things to think about, Ryuuji." He flipped his hand in a wave, saying, "Goodbye," before he grabbed his case and left, his shoes hitting the floor the only sound echoing in the empty auditorium. When Otogi heard the doors shut, with the same quietness as when Anzu had left, he turned and stared around him.

_Yes, _he thought gloomily, _it looks like I do have some things to think about. _

X

The doorbell sounded, surprising Shizuka. She had just returned from work and Jounouchi was lounging in the kitchen, reading the newspaper that had arrived that morning. He had been growling and snorting over it ever since he set it on the table. As she hurried to the door, she couldn't think of who it would be. Mai was at work, so it couldn't be her. Anzu, too, was working. She supposed it could be Honda, but he usually called before coming over.

Shizuka opened the door, smiling, and greeted, "Hello." The male in front of her let a smile spread over his lips and he made a gesture with his hand.

"Hello. Is Jounouchi in?" He inquired. She felt her body fire up in response to the rich, rumbling sound of his voice. It seemed to sing in her body; her cheeks warmed at such thoughts and she stepped aside to allow him in. His eyes lit up a fraction and he stepped into the apartment, tucking his hands in his pockets.

"This way," she murmured shyly, leading him into the kitchen where Jounouchi was swearing to himself. "Jounouchi, you have a...visitor." Jounouchi gave a last, dark look to the paper and peered up at his visitor with a frown. He had a puzzled look on his face and Shizuka felt suddenly nervous. It almost seemed like her brother had never seen him before.

"Hey, there, buddy," Jou greeted, but based on the slight confusion in his voice, he really did not know who he was. "What can I do for you...?"

"Yami Mutou," the latter introduced, releasing one of his hands from his pockets and holding it towards Jou. Shizuka watched as her brother stood and shook it. The name of the man sounded familiar, but she couldn't think of where she had heard it before. She saw a flicker of recognition flash over Jou's face before he gestured for Yami to sit. The male obliged, and Jou returned to his seat.

"Go on, Shizuka," her brother said, waving a hand to shoo her away. "I want to talk to him alone." She nodded slowly and left the kitchen. As soon as she was out, Jou started to fold the newspaper up and set it aside. "What is Anzu's accompanist doing at my house?" He asked Yami as soon as he had taken care of the paper mess.

"It's about your ex-wife. She's jealous of Anzu, you realize that?"

"Yeah, I know." Yami wondered if Jou really didn't give a damn about Mai or if he was just good at hiding his emotions.

"She threw coffee on her."

"...What?" Jou's face was covered with surprise. Yami's eyes passed over Jou's features idly and he couldn't help but think the looks were a combination. He had boyish good looks and rough, manly ones. His eyes were soft and warm like a young boy's, but his jaw was firm, his hands strong. His body was built from his constant lifting of things. He looked every bit his age of twenty-three. "I _told _her that Anzu and I weren't dating! Why did she do that?!" Jou bounded to his feet and started pacing the kitchen, shoving his hands in his hair in clear distress. "Why did Anzu never tell me Mai did that to her?" Suddenly, an odd look passed his face and he halted in his steps, looking to Yami with a slight glare. "She never told anyone else. Why would she tell you?"

"I'm her accompanist," Yami said in a simple, calm manner. He felt as though his and Otogi's earlier episode was playing out all over again, except this time _he_ was Otogi and Jou was him. He had been beyond angry at Otogi's blindness. He knew that the only reason Otogi defended Mai so faithfully because she was "broken" by divorce and she was the one of the two people he could really call a friend.

Jou's glare disappeared as his face cleared. "Yeah," he slowly murmured, "that makes sense. You guys are going to be doing a lot with each other, so you gotta get along." He sent an apologetic smile to Yami. "Sorry, man."

"It's fine," Yami assured with a bright grin. He was impressed that Jou had figured out the connection so quickly. He had acted more rationally towards him than Mai had to Anzu. Otogi had told him that Jou was dim-witted, but Yami was beginning to think differently. "Mai is going to be a problem for Anzu. She has auditions for _Swan Lake _coming up and she can't dance to her full potential if she is so preoccupied by your ex-wife's enmity. You need to deal with her." Jou scratched his head for a moment, a worried expression on his face.

"I'll see what I can do," he said at last, "but it'll probably blow up in my face since Mai's always provokin' me. The most I'll get done is fighting with her."

"She's very hurt," Yami remarked, just to see what Jou's reaction would be.

"Not my problem," Jou replied, shrugging. "She can deal with her own problems. My priorities in life are my friends and family. She's not in either of those." Yami stared at him, a bit shocked that that was how he felt. Jou's face was once again blank. Yami was beginning to think that Mai had done something to Jou to make him feel so uncaring towards her.

"I should be going," Yami abruptly said. Jou blinked and nodded as Yami rose to his feet. Yami paused at the doorway of the kitchen, turning to look at Jou. "...Do you love Anzu?" It was the largest reaction Yami had gotten out of the younger male. He jerked as though he had punched him and shock filled every inch of his face.

"No! Of course not." Jou looked truly mortified at the idea. "I've had enough of women for a long time, man. I'm just trying to support my kid without breaking down." He gave a light smile, adding, "Besides, Anzu's not really my type. She reminds me too much of my sister." Yami smiled at him.

"Goodbye, Jounouchi." Jou raised a hand and let it drop to his side as Yami turned and left through the doorway.

X

Otogi raised his head as his phone rang. He had been lying on his couch ever since he returned from the opera house. He had been thinking hard, just as Yami had advised, but felt so desperate and alone that he was afraid his mind would start to consider over what he would be putting in his suicide note instead. With a weary turn to his side, he grabbed the phone and blinked at the name that had appeared. He pressed the green talk button and mumbled, "Hello?"

"Hi, Otogi," Anzu's sheepish voice came to his ear. "I'm sorry for not saying hello to you today."

"No, it's fine, Anzu," he answered, sitting up. _I should be the one apologizing, _he thought guiltily. "Mai told me what she did to you. I'm sorry she reacted that way."

"It's okay. I...somewhat understand." He could hear the slight resentment in her voice, but chose to ignore it. He knew that Anzu probably wanted to punch the lights out of Mai. He decided he would ignore that, too. "Anyway, I'm headed over to Shizuka's here in a bit. Jou and Honda just left a while ago. They won't be back until early tomorrow morning. This would be the best time to go see Shizuka with me."

"Oh...Thank you, Anzu. I..." He trailed off, unable to think of a response. He had defended her from Mai's belief that she slept around with guys, but had gone against her in the sense that Mai had every reason to be hostile. He knew that Mai didn't, though. He just didn't want to admit it. He was feeling incredibly ashamed for how he had spoken against Yami that day about Anzu. Now the girl he had been going against was offering to help reunite him with the girl he had been after for years. Disgusted with himself, he repeated quietly, "Thank you."

"It's nothing. Meet me there?"

"Yeah. I will."

"Great! Bye, Otogi."

"Bye..." When he hung up, he let his cell phone drop onto the ground and buried his face in the pillow on his couch. He should have declined. He shouldn't have taken the favor from her, especially with the way he had been acting lately. Sitting up, he pressed the palms of his hands to his forehead, closing his eyes tight. _Things have just been too complicated lately, _he said to himself wearily.

X

Shizuka heard the doorbell rang and glanced at Anzu. She was cooking at the stove, having insisted that she help with dinner. Seeing that Anzu wasn't making any move to leave the stove, she left to the door. Anzu had been more cheerful than usual when she arrived, so she was feeling a bit nervous, thinking she had some kind of surprise planned out for her. She didn't like surprises. It always made her feel like someone was doing things behind her back. Opening the door, Shizuka felt a mix of emotions soaring in her. She gaped at Otogi Ryuuji standing at her door, smiling lightly. "Shizuka Katsuya," he said in a silky voice that made her heart slam against her chest crazily.

"O-Otogi," she sputtered breathlessly. Realizing what her voice sounded like, color flooded to her face and she bowed her head, quickly stepping away to let him in. His smile had grown a bit and as soon as she closed the door, he took her hands and gave her a sad look.

"I'm sorry for not seeing you sooner. Your brother seems to hate me."

"Oh. Well..." She trailed off, unsure of what to say. The silence that fell between them wasn't awkward, nor was it thick. She was content in staring up into his green, beautiful eyes that she always loved to see. It had been such a long time since she had seen him. She never tried to remove her hands from his, enjoying the cool feeling of them wrapped around her warm ones.

Otogi's mouth curled a bit more and he released her hands and drew her into a hug. She remembered his hugs, the ones he used to give her every time he came over. She closed her eyes and stayed there, nestled against his strong body. Her body shamelessly warmed to him and her heart throbbed, reminding her of what she felt for him. The reality of the situation seemed to return to her at the feel of the pain in her chest: Jou's divorce, his hate for Otogi, the age difference between the two; it all came to her like a bucket of ice-cold water.

Gently, Shizuka disengaged herself from Otogi, keeping her eyes lowered to the ground. She could sense his confusion. She had never drawn from his embraces before. Thankfully, Anzu arrived at that moment, saying in her feminine, cheerful voice, "Otogi, you made it. I was starting to worry." Shizuka glanced up to see Otogi facing Anzu, his face seeming to be drawn.

"I...was feeling a bit hesitant," Otogi reluctantly said, not giving the reason for his hesitance. Instead, he chirped, "What is that delightful smell?" He quickly left for the kitchen. Anzu watched him with a puzzled look and then looked to Shizuka.

"Are you okay, Shizuka?" She asked, taking her friend's hands in hers. Anzu's were soft and cool from rinsing her hands in cold water. Shizuka wanted to collapse into a thousand pieces and let someone sweep her up. She was so happy to see Otogi, but so dejected at the same time. She could never be with Otogi, she knew that; she feared that Otogi hadn't worked that out for himself yet.

"I'm fine, Anzu," Shizuka gently replied, stroking Anzu's hand lightly. "Let's hurry and finish dinner." Anzu nodded, but was confused, just as Otogi had been. It wouldn't matter. After this dinner, if Otogi ever came over again, she would have to break his heart, something that she was not looking forward to doing.

X

DIS: I'm sorry if it seems that this isn't a Yami/Anzu fiction with all the other relationships going on. I'm just building up to the real problem. Next chapter, Seiji meets Yami! Eeek! We all know how those dad/boyfriend encounters go. Let's see what how a dad/accompanist encounter goes. Please review and tell me how I'm doing. Criticism is always appreciated, even if it does deflate my ego, lol. Ciao!


	6. The father and the pianist

DIS: Eh-heh...Took me a month. Aren't I a little shit? Hugs and kisses to my reviewers. Here's chapter six!

X

_Chapter Six, The father and the pianist_

Seiji lay in bed, alone. His eyes were closed, but he was awake. He had been for a half an hour since the ringing of the phone had woken him. It had been his daughter, making polite inquiries as to how he and his girlfriend – now ex-girlfriend – were doing. He had only really opened his eyes when she announced to him that she wanted him to meet her accompanist, Yami Mutou. His whole body had gone stiff.

"...was thinking that we could stop by today. I'm sure you'll like him. Call me if you're busy today, okay? Love you. Bye!"

He hadn't liked pianists for a long time and wasn't sure he could control his temper and resentment with his daughter's accompanist. She had spoken to him about Yami Mutou before in a fond voice, telling him that he had helped her immensely with her dancing and that he was a wonderful man. Seiji would have preferred her having someone like Jounouchi as her pianist, but that was asking for too much, of course.

He climbed out of bed and sighed, trudging to the kitchen where the phone was. He dialed Anzu's number and slumped against the counter. It rang twice before she answered in a bright voice. Smiling lightly to himself, he replied, "Hello, angel. How's it going?"

"Everything's doing really well, daddy. How about you and Tsubaki?"

"Oh. Well...We actually broke up." He endured the stunned silence for a moment before mumbling, "It seems that she was only on a business trip and had to go back home. It had been nice while it lasted. I needed to get out with a woman for awhile." He could just imagine his daughter's pretty features twisting in confusion, her emotions flashing clearly in her azure depths, and her hands fiddling with things as she thought over her words.

"...Um...Yeah," she answered awkwardly. "At least you were...doing things...with a woman. It's been such a long time, after all."

"Mm hmm. So, explain to me, Anzu, what you were yammering about on the message machine. Something about me meeting your pianist?" He winced at the slightly bitter tone that entered his voice. He prayed she didn't notice it. She didn't.

"Oh! Yes!" She instantly jumped to the new topic, clearly relieved to be leaving the subject of Tsubaki's departure. "I thought it would be rude if you met him after a rehearsal or ballet, so I asked him if he'd mind meeting you and he was more than happy to do it. He said any day would be good, so I thought today might work. If that's okay with you, that is."

"No, no," he reassured at the tone in her voice. She was suppressing her eagerness. "I don't have work today and I'd..._love_ to meet Mr. Mutou."

"Cool! We'll be around a bit after noon, then, okay?"

"Alright. I'll see you then."

"Talk to you later, daddy. Bye." As he hung up, he felt his shoulders sag with dread. How was he going to be able to handle this meeting?

X

Otogi heard a light beeping and he glanced from his prowling customer to his cell phone on the desk. Glancing at the man quickly, he picked up his phone, seeing that he had a text message from Yami, who had been acting as though the two of them had never argued. He had been planning on going out to lunch with him, but those plans had been dashed when he got a sudden rush of customers, not to mention this man that had been walking around aimlessly for almost an hour. It was almost as though he was _trying_ to keep him there. Opening the message, he gave a puzzled look.

Cant make it to lunch w/you. Sorry. Call you later.

_That was the briefest message I've ever received from him, _Otogi thought, raising his eyebrows and giving a slight chuckle. When he looked up, the customer was standing at the front desk, his face a mask of utter boredom. Controlling his petulance, he put on a charming smile and queried, "Can I help you? Have you found something you wish for?" Otogi blinked and his smile fell as the man's hand flew up with a gun in hand. The gun gave a roar as he released the bullet from its prison.

X

Jou walked with Honda towards the Java Beans Café. He had been brooding ever since he spoke to Yami a week earlier. He had been surprised at some of Yami's questions, not to mention his personally coming to him to deal with Anzu's issues. He hadn't expected that. He hadn't enjoyed how deep Yami had delved into his and Mai's relationship. He had seen the suspicion in those strangely colored eyes, but tried to reassure himself that it was nothing. _Eventually he's going to ask questions, _Jou thought sullenly as he and his friend came up to the café. _Everyone does. Nobody ever gets answers, though. Not even Shizuka. _

"Anzu works here?" Honda asked with a note of surprise. "I never knew that..." Jou glanced at him dryly. Honda didn't know much about Anzu because his sometimes-suspicious nature always tended to get the best of him. Jou appreciated it, but Anzu wasn't about to pull anything on them. Despite Jou assuring the brunette, he merely shrugged it off and continued to keep himself reserved around Anzu. Jou had seen the hurt in her eyes at times and was certain she knew of it.

They entered the café and Jou blinked, noticing a vaguely familiar female at the counter. Her hair was long and lavender, the same color as her wide, glassy eyes. As they entered, her mouth curved in a pleasant smile. He felt Honda shift restlessly beside him and rolled his eyes to himself. The man distrusted Anzu, but instantly fired up when he saw some complete stranger. Well, maybe not a _complete _stranger...

"Hello, welcome to Java Beans," she greeted, her eyes instantly moving to Honda and locking on him. Jou's eyebrows rose slightly in surprise. He had never seen a woman fix herself on his friend like that. "How are you?" She asked Honda shyly, her cheeks going a bit pink. When Jou looked at him, he saw that his face was a bit red.

_What the hell is going on here? _He wondered, totally bemused.

"Good," Honda replied with the faintest hint of a tremor to his voice. "Miho Nosaka, right?" She bobbed her head in answer, her long tail of silky hair, held by a yellow ribbon, swishing lightly.

"You, um, never gave me your name," Miho told him as a subtle encouragement. Honda swallowed and licked his lips nervously. Jou was afraid he was going to have a break down. This was the first girl that had ever gone after Honda, rather than the other way around.

"Honda Hiro-oto." He flinched at his stutter and quickly corrected himself, "Hiroto. Honda Hiroto." She smiled shakily, giggling slightly as his mistake. Jou stared at the entire scene with a dumb expression on his face, trying to figure out what was going on. He and everyone else knew that Honda wasn't the most attractive man, so he was trying to understand what this girl – who was obviously cute – was doing talking to Honda like this. He tried to assure himself that she was just being polite, but that blush and her nervous manner made him reconsider.

"Well, Honda," she quietly said, her mouth curled upward, "what can I get you and your friend?" He swallowed again and looked at Jou with pleading eyes.

"Uh..." Jou said in a less-than-intelligent tone. "Um, we'll get two vanilla granitas. Both with whipped cream and one with chopped up coffee beans in it." He rubbed the back of his head and cleared his throat, asking, "Anzu's not here today?" Miho looked surprised at his question and a bit flustered.

"H-her shift doesn't start for awhile," she hastily said as she punched in the numbers for their total. "Not until around four." He nodded. "Do you want me to tell her you came by?"

"Yeah, that'd be nice," Jou replied slowly. "Just tell her that Jounouchi Katsuya was looking for her." His heart dropped when he saw her stiffen and a suddenly furious light enter her eyes. He glanced at Honda nervously and saw that he was looking irritated at Jou, obviously seeing the anger on her face, too.

"Katsuya, huh?" She spat at him. "Sorry, but I don't think I can serve you."

"W-what?" He sputtered, his eyes widening. "Why not?"

She pointed a finger at him, glaring, and said, "Probably because your bitch ex-wife came in and practically assaulted Anzu for you getting her mixed up in your marital problems!" His jaw dropped in shock and for a moment he was dumbstruck. She continued relentlessly, "Anzu was mortified! Do you have any idea what it's like to have some woman that she never heard of or even seen come in her and dump hot coffee on her? She could have gotten severely burned! What do you have to say about that, Jounouchi Katsuya?"

"Listen, Nosaka, I never even knew Mai came in here and did that until a week ago. Besides, I told Mai off the bat that I wasn't dating Anzu. How was I supposed to know she'd come in here and do that?" Miho ignored him and turned back to Honda, her face hard.

"The total comes up to five forty." Honda grimly handed her the money, getting ten cents back in change. Miho gave the order to the Kanna who was working alone at making the coffee. Miho helped her with it, not wishing to speak with either of the two males. She returned shortly with their drinks. Her face softened when she looked at Honda. "I'm sorry...I didn't..."

"It's fine," he mumbled, taking his drink and handing the other one to Jou. "I understand you being mad. Anzu's your friend." He smiled in an understanding manner and her face brightened a bit, smiling in response. "I'll, uh, see you around, Miho." She nodded, coloring a bit as her name rolled of his tongue.

"Sure. Bye, Honda." She reached over and squeezed his hand briefly. He turned and left with Jou, a silly smile playing on his mouth. Jou ignored him, too dazed at Miho's sudden attack at him that he was unaware of his friend's infatuation with Anzu's friend. He sipped on his granita, his eyes a bit wide as he lumbered down the sidewalk with Honda at his side.

"...She could have gotten severely burned! What do you have to say about that, Jounouchi Katsuya?"

_What _would_ I have done if Mai really hurt Anzu? _Jou wondered to himself, fearfully aware that he had no answer. His phone rang and he blinked, jerked out of his reverie. He grumbled and answered it, mumbling into the phone, "Yeah?"

"Jou, you have to pick Rena up from daycare," Mai gasped on the other line. He frowned. He wanted to give her a piece of his mind, but by the panicked tone in her voice and the way she was breathing hard, he had a feeling that this wasn't the time to bring up things like that when she was in a hurry.

"Fine. I'll – "

"Otogi's been shot!" She interrupted, her voice trembling with tears.

"_What?_" Honda blinked, stopping as Jou halted in his walking.

Sobbing, Mai stuttered out, "He was shot in the shoulder by a man in his shop! He was almost hit in the chest, but h-he moved just in time. Oh, God, Jou, I was so worried when they called! All they said at first was that he was shot and I was afraid he was dying! And then when they told me he had been attacked at his shop, I couldn't understand what purpose they could possibly have!" He heard her sniffing and was sure she was wiping her face. "He sells _instruments_, Jou! _Instruments!_ Why would anyone have any need to shoot him?"

"I..." He held no response. His heart was contradicting with what his mind was saying. The former wanted to comfort her, the latter wanted to ignore her.

"A-anyway..." She sounded a bit less hysterical. "He's at the hospital. I have to go see him and make sure he's okay. The police have the other man in custody. Otogi managed to knock him out with an instrument. I hope he'll be okay..."

"Otogi's made of strong stuff," Jou grunted. "I'm sure he'll be fine. Besides, it was just in the shoulder."

"Yes...Yes, you're right." He cursed at himself, realizing he had just calmed her nerves. He wasn't supposed to be nice to her. He hated her. Why should he care what happened to her stupid friend? But he knew the answer to that before the question even entered his mind. Otogi had been his and Honda's friend at one point, was godfather to Rena, and Jou was sure Shizuka had a bigger feeling than friendship for him. He wouldn't admit that a shudder of anticipation had gone through him when Mai had announced that Otogi had been shot.

"Rena will be at my house when you can pick her up," Jou said after a pause of his thinking.

"Okay." She hesitated and then quickly said, "Thanks," before hanging up.

"What was that about?" Honda asked Jou as he snapped his phone shut and shoved it in his pocket. "Who got shot?" Jou blinked, looking to Honda as though he had forgotten he'd been there. He slowly shook his head, clearing away his confusion.

"Oh. That. Otogi was attacked in his shop, I guess. He was shot in the shoulder and Mai wanted to go to the hospital to make sure he was okay." He rubbed the back of his head, blowing a breath through his lips, puffing his cheeks out briefly. "I wanted to tell her off, but Otogi and Rena are all that she got, so I suppose I'll have to wait to chew her ass."

"Yeah...So when do you have to pick Rena up?"

"Around four or so." Honda nodded.

"Alright."

X

Yami tapped his knee as Anzu drove through the hectic traffic. There seemed to be more people out around now than usual. He had almost lost his breakfast when she did a crazy maneuver around some cars to get around them. He was still a bit edgy and having seen him nearly faint, she apologized profusely and didn't try any of those stunts again. They had just gotten out of a traffic jam and he was sure that she could have gotten out if she'd done another of her jerking-the-car-around-the-enemy-cars thing. He didn't care about the waiting. He didn't want to see the side of a car that close again in his entire life, especially if he was in another car.

"My father isn't huge on musicians," Anzu said conversationally as they rolled down an empty street. "He hasn't ever been a lover of dancing or music, but he never missed any of the ballets I did in college." She smiled fondly, thinking of how her father had struggled during the ballets. She knew how much he hated sitting in one place for so long with other people pressing against him. She would have to tell him it wasn't necessary for him to come if she ever became famous. "But I'm certain he'll like you, even if you are a pianist."

"Hmm. If he doesn't like musicians, are you sure it's wise for me to meet him?" He asked, his brow creasing slightly. He didn't want to cause a rift between Anzu and her father.

"He'll meet you eventually," she replied with a tiny shrug of her shoulders. She flipped on her blinker and turned into the parking lot of her father's apartment buildings. She parked in a visitor parking space and waited until Yami got out of the car to lock it. She dumped the keys in her purse and led the way to the entrance. She pushed the buzzer for her father's room and waited, one of her hands on her hips.

After a while, Seiji came and opened the door, smiling in greeting. He ushered them in without saying a word and let the door slam shut. The three of them went upstairs to his neat, clean apartment. "Would you like anything to drink?" He asked them politely. Anzu shook her head.

"No, thank you," Yami declined, giving a benign smile. Seiji returned the smile with his own, though Yami noticed it was a bit forced. The older male shifted uncomfortably, unsure of what to do or say. Clearing his throat, Yami extended his hand and introduced himself, "Yami Mutou. Anzu's been anxious for me to meet you."

"Oh?" Seiji blinked and took his hand, shaking it. "Seiji Mazaki."

"If Anzu gets the part of Odette and Odile – which I'm optimistic she will – then I intend on staying on as her accompanist," Yami explained, his mouth curved in a smile. He tucked a hand in one of his pockets, gesturing with his other hand as he spoke, "She didn't want me meeting you after a dance. It's better to meet you now when I'm more energized."

"I see..." Seiji mumbled as the three of them sat down, with Anzu and Yami on the couch and Seiji in the recliner. "About your being her accompanist...How exactly does that work? I was under the impression they had a pianist for the ballet." His gaze swept over Yami speculatively. "Isn't that right?"

"No, not really," the pianist answered brightly. He leaned back, a pleasant expression on his face. "What it is, is this: a dancer hires an accompanist. The two of them have to blend perfectly and work together in two different sides of art. They have to be close and be unafraid to criticize each other's work and able to compliment each other. Anzu and I have already improved in the brief time we've been together. Anyway, the pianist is more for the auditions. Depending on how important a part the dancer gets in a ballet, their accompanist might not even be needed. Anzu is trying out for the main part in _Swan Lake _and so I'll be playing all the pieces of the balletNo one else's accompanist will be needed."

"It's no wonder I didn't find out about this until recently," Anzu commented, beaming at her father, who didn't smile back, his mouth turned down in thought.

"And...what of other relations?" Her father carefully asked. Yami tilted his head slightly in puzzlement. "What I mean to say is, if you two were to get _too_ close," he ignored his daughter's mortified expression, "wouldn't that interfere in the work?" Yami's smile had faded and he looked a bit uncomfortable by the question. Seiji almost sneered at him.

"Er...That is always a possibility," Yami responded with the same carefulness that Seiji had applied to his words. "I wouldn't say it would interfere, though. It _could_ bring on complications, but I don't think you have to worry about anything like that."

"All pianists are lecherous," he instantly spat out as soon as Yami had finished speaking. He inwardly winced, seeing Anzu's eyes go round and her accompanist's expression become cool. He had tried, unsuccessfully, to keep his opinion of pianists bottled in, but imagining his daughter forming any kind of liaisons with the man had set his blood boiling. "They are passionate about every thing they do," he continued on rashly, "and are womanizers. All they care about is their own happiness and _passion_." He sneered the last word with clear derision. Yami's eyes narrowed to slits.

Before he could get a word in, his cell phone rang, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over them. Keeping his dark gaze on Seiji, he flipped the phone open and answered, "Hello." He drew his eyes from Seiji's, his anger forgotten. "...I see. Where? ...Then he's not severely hurt, is he?" Anzu gave him a worried look, wondering who it was that had gotten hurt. "Okay. Thank you for calling me...No, I'm sure that if Mai came, he's had enough fretting over...Alright. Goodbye." He closed his phone and glanced at Anzu. "Otogi was shot in the shoulder."

"He's okay, though?" She asked in concern. He nodded curtly, looking back to Anzu's father.

"I think it's time we get back to the theater. I know when I've been insulted." Seiji's eyes narrowed into a sulky glare as Yami rose to his feet. Yami brushed his fingers over Anzu's shoulder. "I'll be out by the car." She watched him leave, her shoulders drooping. When he left, she turned to her father, clearly upset.

"Why did you say that to him?" She demanded, hurt by how her father had treated him. "He was trying to be nice and you blew up on him!" Anzu's eyes swept over his face, but he just turned his face away, not looking at her. She had been shocked enough that he had asked about any possible "relations" that might happen between her and her accompanist. His sudden accusation that pianists were lecherous had not only hurt her, but had horrified her. It wasn't something that she imagined she would ever hear her father say and she couldn't understand why he would say something so cruel to Yami.

"You had better go, Anzu," Seiji said at last, his voice quiet. "He's waiting for you outside." She let out an angry breath and got to her feet, storming to the door. He closed his eyes, flinching as she slammed the door behind her. _If only you knew why, Anzu, _he thought, dropping his face in his hands. _If only you knew..._

X

"I'm sorry, Yami," Anzu quietly told him as they stood outside the theater. "I don't know why he said that." The ride back had been silent and tense. She could practically feel the waves of anger rolling off him as she drove them back to the theater. "I've never seen him act like that and – "

"I'm not mad at you, Anzu," he interrupted, giving a gentle smile, "so stop apologizing. He obviously has an aversion to my profession. He's entitled to his opinions, just as we all are. It wasn't your fault that he said those things." Yami rubbed the back of his hand over his chin, as though he was wiping something off. "We might as well forget about it. I'll hardly see him anyway." He gave her a bright smile that he hoped reassured her. Her own smile was weak and seemed to be forced. "We'll skip practice today," he continued. "I'm not sure my mind's up to it."

"Alright. I'll see you tomorrow, then, Yami." He nodded and moved towards the theater, waving goodbye. When his back was turned to her, his smile dropped and a brooding expression took over. He didn't know why, but ever since Seiji had brought up the possibility of a relationship with Anzu, he hadn't felt comfortable around her. At least, not in the same way he used to be. Anzu was a good five years younger than him and admittedly naïve. He couldn't find himself engaging in any sort of intimate relationship with her, although he knew she was attractive and she wasn't a stupid twit like some dancers were.

_I shouldn't even be thinking about it, _he scolded himself as he passed the aisles of chairs in the auditorium, moving towards the stage. _We're working partners and that's all we're going to be. I don't need the difficulties of a relationship with her. If it were anyone else, than I wouldn't care, but I have a contract with her. I've been employed by her, for God's sake! _Yami huffed out an agitated breath as he settled on the piano bench, pushing the cover back from the keys and pressing on a high C note. Flinching, he drew his fingers back and then played a scale. _I've never considered her as a possibility for a lover before, _he mused. _Damn her father for putting it in my head. _And then another question entered his mind. _Where did he ever get the idea of pianists being lecherous? There are a few of us that enjoy women, but we're more dedicated to our music than anything else. _He sighed, drawing away from the piano and rubbed his eyes. _This is too much to think of for me. _

X

DIS: Poor Yami-kun. Seiji-san has some issues that need to be resolved. And what is the core of these issues? For once, the authoress knows! (cackles) Anyway, _please_ leave a review. I would be much obliged. Ciao!


	7. Among friends

DIS: I've returned with the seventh chapter of my musical story! (twirls around) And as always, thanks to my readers and especially my reviewers. Hugs and kisses to you all. I would like to tell everyone that this fic will not suffer from abandonment issues as so many of my stories do. (For which I am sorely sorry for.) So, with that said, I shall let you loose to read chapter seven! Enjoy.

X

_Chapter Seven, Among friends_

Jou sighed as he rubbed his neck wearily as he settled on the couch after putting Rena to bed. Shizuka had only given him a curious look when he arrived at home with his young daughter. He wasn't about to tell her that Otogi had been shot since he was more than well aware of his sister's feelings for the man. He simply chose to ignore them as well as he could. It was eight-thirty and although he knew that Mai had probably lingered at the hospital, he began to wonder if she jumped off a bridge or something. _She's dramatic enough, _Jou thought with a small smirk.

The doorbell rang and Jou, too exhausted from his bouncing around the apartment with Rena, left it for his sister. Sure enough, his tiny sister scuttled past him and the trashed living room to the door. He heard a bright exclamation from Shizuka and an answering mumble. Rolling his shoulders, Jou turned his head slightly to see one of his best friends trudging into the living room with a depressed expression. _Aw, man, _he thought, sighing inwardly. _What's up with women today and their frickin' emotions? _

"Anzu, sit down," Shizuka soothed, leading Anzu to a chair and guiding her onto it. "I'll make us some coffee. You just sit here and put your thoughts together." She hastily left, casting Jou a sharp look that warned him not to say anything stupid. He slumped in the couch. He never knew what the difference was between 'stupid' and 'smart' in his sister's book, so he just kept his mouth shut as Anzu stared at her lap with tear-filled eyes.

_Damn it. _

"Okay, it's in the pot," Shizuka announced as she returned to the living room. Taking the the end of the couch closest to Anzu, she took her hand. "What's wrong, Anzu? Come on and tell us. We're here to listen, after all. Did you do badly at practice today...? Did Mr. Mutou yell at you? I'll whack him right on the head if he did!"

"Oh, of course he didn't!" Anzu wailed, crying. She shoved her fingers through her hair, ignoring the tears that flooded from her azure eyes. "It's not Yami that I'm angry about, it's my dad. Yami would never make me cry." Her tears became more violent and Jou was becoming noticeably uncomfortable. Shizuka elbowed him irritably, keeping her eyes on Anzu. "He's always so understanding and sweet and thoughtful. How could he ever make me cry?" Brother and sister blinked. Sniffing and wiping her tears, Anzu said shakily, "I had Yami meet my dad today and he...he...he was being so polite to daddy, but then...then daddy called Yami lecherous for no good reason! He started _ranting_ about how horrible pianists were. I've never seen such an offended look on someone's face like on Yami's! And daddy didn't even apologize! He didn't even seem _sorry_. I don't know what to do or think anymore. I want to be a dancer so badly and dance in _Swan Lake _and become noticeable, but I know I won't be able to do it without Yami. He's been so helpful as a pianist and a friend. I can't give him up, but I want daddy to see me dance, too..."

_Aw, for Christ's sake..._ Jou thought sulkily, rubbing the back of his head. _Why did everything that could go wrong, go wrong _today_ of all days? Geez... _

"Anzu..." Shizuka reached out again and took her hand. "I understand. Truly, I do. We have to make choices. Some are hard to make. Some we can't make at all. Jou and I chose each other over our parents. Mother and father didn't want us talking to each other because the other had custody of each of us and they thought it was triumph of the other if we spoke. It's the same for you, I think, but less difficult. Your father will have to accept who your pianist is or at least ignore him when he goes to your ballets. Try and reason with him, Anzu. It's all that can work."

"Hey, Anzu...Just how pissed was Mutou?" Jou asked eagerly. Shizuka shot him a glare that he shuddered under.

"He was angry," Anzu said after a pause, "but he didn't blame me. He knew that it was my father who was speaking of his opinion and would never see it as my fault. I'm grateful for that. He's such an amazing person. He didn't even retaliate. He just stood up and left the apartment." Her shoulders drooped and her expression became sad again. "We came here for a new beginning, to make new friends, and to become new people. Instead, all I see are more enemies than friends. Mai hates me, Yami surely hates daddy now...I never wanted enemies. I never thought making friends would – "

"Stop right there, Anzu."

She blinked in surprise.

"Now, listen, and you'd better listen to me real careful like, alright? Mai's a bitch. It's as simple as that. She even hated Shizuka for awhile when we were dating because I was closer to my sister than her. I mean, come _on_. Jealous of my _sister?_ She hates me getting close to any female. I should've realized it sooner, but I didn't, so that's my problem, not yours, okay? I accidentally made you two enemies and I'm sorry. Deep down, Mai knows you're just a friend. It'll just take awhile for her to accept that. Alright?"

Anzu hesitated and then nodded. "You're right, Jounouchi. But still...it seems like there have been only bad things happening ever since I arrived here. It's like I'm a bad luck charm."

"Nah," Jou assured. "It's nothing like that, Anzu. Things happen and that's that."

"I guess..." Anzu smiled faintly. "After all, I didn't go in and shoot Otogi in his shop." Jou's eyes widened in horror and he turned to see Shizuka pale and weak. He cursed himself that he shouldn't have seen something like that coming. Apparently taking note of Shizuka's expression, Anzu clapped her hands over her mouth, her own eyes going as round as Jou's. "O-oh...I'm sorry, Shizuka, I thought you knew..."

"No, I did not!" The younger female exclaimed furiously, leaping to her feet, her face turning from pale to pink in an instant. "Jounouchi Katsuya, you had better explain to me RIGHT NOW what this is about!" He flinched, huddling against the back of the couch as she towered over him, her bunched fists shaking in anger. "JOUNOUCHI!" She screamed when he didn't say anything.

"I-it's nothing, Shizuka," he mumbled weakly. "He was just shot in the arm. He's fine, really." Her blazing eyes told him she thought otherwise. "Um...Listen, sis, don't be overreacting. Mai's already fussed over him and stuff and I don't – "

"Tell me where he is – _now!_"

X

Shizuka stormed down the hall of the hospital, but as soon as she arrived at the door where Otogi would be, she calmed herself. She could either be a blubbering mess or a banshee from hell. She preferred the former to the latter. Otogi had never seen her angry and she certainly didn't want him to when he was probably in great pain. She carefully opened the door and started in surprise when a familiar, handsome male turned mildly to look at her.

_Yami Mutou, _Shizuka said in her mind, entering the room and closing the door behind her. _The man that Anzu respects so dearly and her father resents in the same amount. It's amazing that her father can hate such a man. When I spoke to him, he was perfectly polite and Jou apparently thought well of him or he would have been screaming at him when he visited us. He isn't unpleasant to look at, either. He's very nice looking. Not my type, of course, but I'm nowhere near as creative as Otogi or Anzu are. I admire them for that. _

"Shizuka," Otogi murmured weakly from the bed. Averting her gaze from Yami, she looked to Otogi and her chained temper evaporated at his pale and weak form on the hospital bed. She always knew Otogi to be tall, strong, and with a gleaming, tan face and bright eyes. Now, he appeared lifeless and his eyes held no glint in them, only a dull look that hinted at exhaustion. She hastened to his side and took the hand he held out for her to take. Tactfully, Yami moved away from the bed to the window to peer out it, giving them some sense of privacy. "I was wondering if anyone would tell you. I didn't want you to worry, but I've been hoping you would stop by..."

"Anzu let it slip," she replied softly, glancing at Yami, deciding not to add that she had been upset because of his and her father's conflict. God only knew how the man would react. "Jounouchi failed to tell me."

"Naturally," the latter said with a faint smile. "He wouldn't want his little sister to become worried over me. Either that or he assumed I hadn't wanted to see anyone after Mai. If he _never_ told you, then I would have to muster up some anger and swear at him over the phone. But then...these drugs are very taxing on my health and keep me weak and tired."

_I promised myself that I wouldn't love him. For just awhile, though, I'll break that promise..._ "Otogi, I am so sorry." She pressed her hand to his cheek and smiled softly. She wanted to bend down and kiss him, because she knew this would be the only time she would get the chance. Angrily shoving the idea away, she withdrew her hand and folded his within hers, lowering her eyes.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Yami's deep, drawling voice drifted up to her through the haze of her emotions, "but do you mind me asking how your friend is, Shizuka Katsuya?" She blinked and raised her eyes to look at the pianist. He had turned from the window, letting his shoulder lean against it. She could see sincere concern and a bit of knowledge in his strangely colored eyes. She had a feeling he already knew how horrible Anzu was feeling.

"Anzu is...a bit upset," she answered, stumbling over her words briefly, "but she is better now. I think that the...incident...at her father's apartment today has made her a bit distraught." He smiled at her wording and she felt a blush sink into her cheeks. It wasn't the man personally that caused her to flush; it was simply that any smile from a handsome man caused her to do so.

"I suspected as much. She was vastly ashamed when she left me today and I wanted to make sure she was well." Shizuka bobbed her head. "I'll have to get her something as an apology. I don't want her worried because of the conflict between Seiji and myself." Yami wasn't lying. He had seen her troubled expression when she left him that day and knew that she was only upholding her cheerful mask so that he wouldn't be worried. Yami was used to Otogi's attempts at hiding his feelings, though, and so it was easy for him to see through her façade.

"Oh. Um..." Shizuka had no reply to that. She had never heard of someone giving a gift because of that. _He really is a sweet man, _she decided with a smile. She didn't see the sly smirk Otogi managed to shoot towards Yami, who just as pointedly ignored it, a corner of his mouth twitching in mild irritation. Many artists were romantic, but both Otogi and Shizuka could see this was going a bit beyond the usual "kind gesture" or "apology" gift.

"What do you propose I get for her?" He questioned Shizuka brightly. "Flowers are far too common; it should be something unique..." Shizuka and Otogi slowly moved their gazes to each other, their minds clearly on the wavelength. He smiled at her, a smile that was closer to his normal one. Yami's eyes narrowed on their expressions when they returned their gazes to his face. Why did he not like those expressions of theirs?

"I think we can figure something out unique," she assured with a smile.

X

Miho instantly looked to Anzu when she entered work the next day. She had slept over at the Katsuya's that night and had even fallen asleep, cuddled against Jounouchi after crying some more. She was feeling mortified because of that, but he had just laughed it off, saying, "It's obvious the ladies can't bear to stay away from my sexy body!" In response, she colored and punched him hard in the arm. He had just laughed again.

Despite her terrible day yesterday with everything that had happened, Anzu wasn't feeling quite as miserable. Miho's befuddled look caused her to become wary. She wasn't late and she hadn't done anything wrong, so...?

But then she saw them. Her jaw dropped, seeing three baskets of roses with ribbons around the handles sitting on a table. Each basket held a different color of roses: red, white, and yellow. She saw miniature, porcelain dolls and realized they were of dancers. Anzu gawked at them, her mouth working without any words forming. Miho cleared her throat and gave a tiny, uncertain smile.

"Umm, these were just dropped off, Anzu," Miho told her, putting her hand in her apron and retrieving an envelope. Yami Mutou had come into the café with a slightly nervous expression, as though he wasn't certain where he was. He brought two baskets and then the last one, placing them on the table and handing Miho the envelope, telling her that Anzu _had_ to get the envelope and the letter. After he had hurried out of the café, the customers and herself had stood staring at the roses in wonderment and admiration. Miho had never known a man to be so thoughtful. She just wished she knew what had caused such sentiments.

Anzu took the envelope handed to her, staring at it with an amazed expression as she opened it.

_Anzu,_

I'm not as articulate when it comes to apologizing since 'sorry' never seems to cut it for me and it seems a bit rude after what I had done to you. I sincerely apologize for upsetting you yesterday. Shizuka Katsuya confessed you had come to her and Jou in a state of emotions and I felt guilty. I hope you like the roses and dolls. Otogi and Shizuka thought they were a good idea.

Yours,

Yami

"Well, Anzu?" Miho asked a bit impatiently, something that was unusual for her. "What does it say?" Anzu just handed it to her, going to the baskets and lifting one of the dolls, touching the soft, shining curls atop the dancer's head. A shy, pleased smile tipped her mouth upward and she giggled to herself, lifting the doll in her hands and pressing it against her cheek, truly touched by such a thoughtful apology. (Even though he really had no reason to apologize.) "...Hey, Anzu..." Anzu turned to see that Miho had snuck up behind her. There was a beaming, bright expression on her face. Leaning forward and covering her hand to conceal her words from anyone else, she whispered, "Are you and Yami Mutou dating?"

"W-what?!" Anzu sputtered, heat flooding to her face in shock. "No! Of course not!" Miho raised her eyebrows thoughtfully and then let out a light snort, grinning.

"Okay, if you say so." She handed her the note and then skipped away, sending her a playful look over her shoulder. Anzu felt eyes on her and bowed her head, ignoring the inquisitive stares of the customers. Before getting to work, she put the baskets of roses in the back, glad they were in closed cases with water in them so they wouldn't die while she worked.

As soon as I get a chance, Anzu thought as she hastily tied her apron on, I'm going to go see Yami.

X

Otogi was glad to have been discharged as quickly as he was from the hospital. Although his shoulder was hurting particularly bad from the stitches, he wasn't otherwise in any harm. And so, his first stop would be at the opera house to check in on his pianist friend and see how the apology roses had gone. He had known, when Yami left the hospital, that he had been seriously thinking over the idea. It was rare for Yami to even give a damn about something so trivial and it caused Otogi to ponder why his gentlemanly pride had threatened to act up.

Shrugging it off, Otogi entered the auditorium and grinned, hearing the ending of Claude Debussy's The Girl with the Flaxen Hair. There was only a pause before the piano music started into Rêverie by the same composer. Debussy was known for his gentle, expressive music, but it was never so slow that it lulled one to sleep. Yami, as an expert pianist, and clearly feeling expressive himself that day, was a genius at Debussy's music. Often enough did Otogi request Yami to play it for him when he was feeling romantic. Today he just wanted to know what had caused Yami to play this particular composer's music.

"How did it go, Yami?" Otogi queried as he stepped onto the stage and moved towards the piano, careful not to move his arm too much in case of causing any more pain to himself. The piano music halted and Yami rose to his feet, his face a mask of suspicion as he looked over Otogi. "I'm fine. It was only my shoulder, after all."

"Hmm. If you insist," was all the pianist said. Otogi raised his eyes encouragingly and Yami shifted under his stare and it was only then that Otogi realized that Yami was truly nervous, something he was certain the man hadn't even been since he first performed before an important group. After that, he had been a pillar of confidence, but Anzu Mazaki had reduced him to a normal man, something that was hard to do to someone as known as Yami. "I sent them," Yami replied after a thoughtful pause, "and I gave the envelope to her co-worker. Whether she appreciated it, though – "

"For God's sake – " Otogi began, but he, too, was interrupted, but by the doors opening. Both men turned to look to see who their visitor was to see the object of their conversation rushing up to the stage. Yami seemed to return to his confident self at seeing her beaming expression. "Hah." Otogi sent a smug look to Yami.

"Yami, what is this about?" Anzu demanded, waving his letter in his face. He just looked at her curiously. "You have nothing to apologize for! My father started conflict up, but – Oh, oh, oh! This was such a good surprise! It really cheered me up! I was in the dumps when I came to work because even though Jou was being a real sweetheart last night and Shizuka, too, I couldn't help but feel miserable about the whole situation. All those roses, though - !" She threw her arms around him, surprising him and Otogi. She landed a kiss on his cheek. "Thank you so much! You're so sweet!" After that, she pranced back from the stage and just as they had watched her arrive, the two males' eyes followed her as she dashed to the doors and left with high spirits.

"...Well..." Otogi mumbled, turning to look at Yami, smiling. "I believe she just kissed you, Yami."

"Is that what happened?" Yami asked, tilting his head with a humored glimmer in his eyes. "I was paying attention to other things at the time." The two of them let out a laugh at the naughty suggestion. Anzu didn't realize how much she had brightened their friendship, not to mention their lives.

X

DIS: Just a smidgeon of Yami/Anzu romance. Trust me, when it comes, it'll be like – BAM! - Oh-my-god-that-is-so-hot-and-sexy kind of thing, lol. Don't forget to leave a review, please! Ciao!


	8. Beyond the boundaries

DIS: Thanks to everyone who reviewed!! You guys rock my socks off!!

X

_Chapter Eight, Beyond the boundaries_

Mai leaned against her car as she awaited her customer. The woman she had spoken to on the phone had promised to be around to check out what was a potential new home for her by one and it was ten minutes past the agreed time. Despite Mai's constant vigilance over her daughter and Otogi, she didn't seem like she had been up late or that she had had a stressful week. Indeed, she looked as she usually would.

Hearing a sound pull up behind her car in the driveway, Mai flipped open her cosmetic case and checked herself in the mirror to make certain there was nothing amiss. With a small sigh, she snapped it closed and tucked it in her purse, straightening up from the car. Deep down, Mai knew that her looks didn't mean anything when it was only worthless men that noticed. It wasn't _them_ she wanted to look at her with lust and interest, it was a man that she had already lost.

"Hello," her customer gasped as she came jogging up to her. "I am so very sorry. I was stuck in the worse traffic..." Mai raised her head a fraction and stared down at the shorter female. She was of fair skin with long, dark hair and hazel eyes. The woman was nearing her age of prime with a gentle figure and a softness that reminded Mai much of her ex-sister-in-law. Nonetheless, Mai kept firm with an intimidating air. Beyond her convincing words of sale, she was made a top salesperson by exuding an air of confidence. The best way, she found, was to never let the customer forget _who_ was _who_, even if they were the ones with the money.

"Traffic is rather busy around this time in Domino," Mai flippantly answered, her smile agreeable, but slight. She gestured with the hand that had her papers in it. "Shall we, Miss...?"

"Mrs. Mazaki," she answered softly, smiling in response.

X

Otogi looked up as the doors were violently thrown open by a familiar, energetic child. Mai followed closely after, her mouth tilted downward in thought. Yami paused in his music, standing to meet Rena as she made a beeline towards him. In her excitement to see the man that called her "princess," she simple-mindedly passed Otogi without a word. She reached her hands up to Yami and he gave a warm smile, lifting her into his arms.

Otogi moved his head slightly to the side, puzzled by the genuine warmth his companion felt for the child. His mind was then opened to how much Yami truly did want to settle with a family of his own. It was strange seeing such a romantic musician – a pianist, at that – yearn after such a permanent lifestyle. _Well, maybe not entirely permanent, _Otogi corrected himself as he turned to look at Mai. "How did the sale go today?" He queried. She gave a tiny shrug, spreading her hands out.

"As well as usual, I suppose. It sold." She gestured for him to come near, glancing at Yami as he and her daughter sat at the piano to sing. As their voices rang out, one bass, the other soprano, she murmured to Otogi as he came near, "Do you know Anzu's mother?" He blinked, looking awed by the question. He had never asked Anzu about her parents and she had never ventured to mention them. It was strange that Mai would even want to discuss anything about a woman she seemed to so despise.

"You're asking me about Anzu?" He inquired with a small smile. She frowned at him.

"I'm warming up to the idea of the girl," she told him cautiously.

"Well, that's excellent. As for her mother, I have never met either of her parents. Anzu has never spoken about them, so I assumed they didn't move with her. Why? Was she your customer today?" He watched as Mai averted her gaze, not responding. There was clearly something bothering her about Anzu's mother that made Otogi worry a bit. "What? Mai, talk to me. What's wrong?"

"It's...nothing, hon." She hesitated again. "Will you watch Rena for a bit? I have a few errands I need to run and I'll be right back." Otogi rubbed the back of his neck, wincing slightly at the soreness of his shoulder. Even after a few days of healing, the wound never failed to cry out in pain. He didn't like that his friend wouldn't tell him what was bothering her, but he accepted it as it was. She always told him in the end; she just needed some time.

"Sure, Mai. Yami and I will be here for awhile."

After Mai left the opera house, she lingered outside to sigh and enjoy the warm sun dance over her skin. She had decided some time ago that she would apologize to Anzu for her rashness, just as she had had to apologize to Shizuka when she and Jou were dating. She had put it off, though, fearing that, unlike Jou's sister, Anzu Mazaki would be less forgiving and would reject her offer of friendship. Grimacing slightly, Mai started down the street towards the café.

_Usually, _Mai mused as she walked, _I deal with men or the couple when a married pair wishes to buy a house. If it _is _a woman who is buying a house, she is either divorced, with a child, or single. Never married; not in the time I've sold houses. _It gnawed at the edges of her mind throughout the time that Mai traveled to the café. When she arrived, she hesitated to peer in the window to make certain Anzu was working. Seeing that Anzu was working the cash register again, she took in a deep breath, opened the door, and entered the quiet café.

Anzu's eyes met hers as soon as she entered and her mouth drooped from her normal smile. She gave no welcome as she did last time, but merely took a step back as another girl came forward, her eyes careful in watching Mai. "Wait," Mai hastily said. "Please. Can I speak with you, hon?" Anzu exchanged a look with the other girl and sighed, nodding.

"Anzu," her companion began anxiously.

"No, it's fine, Miho. Cover for me?" Miho nodded and Anzu gestured for Mai to come around the counter to the back room. Following, Mai felt relief flood over her. As she did, she noticed that the feminine planes of Anzu's face were so familiar to the woman's who claimed to be Mrs. Mazaki. It erased any doubt that it was mere coincidence that this woman simply had the same last name. "So..." Anzu sighed, leaning against a counter. "What can I help you with, Ms. Kujaku?"

"I take it Jounouchi has told you about me?" Mai assumed. The younger female gave a curt nod in answer. "I see...I'm...not sure how I should explain this, but I'll try the best I can. Can you allow that much?" Anzu relaxed slightly and nodded again. "The truth is that..." She felt her chest tighten and she closed her eyes, blowing out a breath. "I love Jounouchi. I always have and it hasn't changed. I know that I have no right to get angry if he's friends with you – too many people have told me you're friends for me to believe otherwise – but I do. I get jealous if any girl comes near him. He...hates me now. Understandably, too, after some of the things I did to him. What I'm trying to say is that I'm sorry." She raised her gaze to Anzu's. "I was afraid that I might lose Rena to you. After Jou and I divorced, she was all I had besides Otogi. I couldn't stand to lose her, too, after I lost him." Anzu stared at her for a long pause and then looked away, sighing through her nose.

"I hated you after you threw that coffee on me, but after such an honest apology, how can I?" Anzu turned back to Mai and smiled, seeing a different woman than the one in the café before today. "I'm not trying to steal Rena from you. The girl's a real sweetheart, but I could never take someone's daughter from them. Jou...He wanted me to continue to see her even after you said that you didn't and I told him no." Mai's mouth tilted awkwardly. She moved forward and took Anzu's hands, squeezing them.

"I feel that we can be good friends despite it all, hon. What do you think?"

Anzu observed Mai closely, looking at the lonely depths beneath the eagerness gleaming in her mauve eyes. She took in every piece of designer clothing that she wore, the soft smell of expensive perfume, and beautiful cosmetics and hair. Mai was a woman that most women would love to hate: she was the very image of beauty. Usually, Anzu wouldn't befriend a woman such as her so easily, but it was hard not to pity her. She was yearning for friendship with other women, but was unable to do so because of her jealousy.

"I think we could," Anzu agreed softly. Mai's eyes lit up and she drew away, smiling. She suddenly paused, a shadow passing over her face.

"Anzu...I hope I'm not getting too personal by asking this, but...are your parents married?" Mai knew that it was a sensitive topic by the way she looked away, her shoulders stiff with resentment.

"No."

"I see. Thank you." She reached out and placed a reassuring hand on Anzu's shoulder. Anzu turned back to her with puzzlement before smiling at her. _I don't dare ask why her parent's aren't married, _Mai thought as she drew away and moved towards the front to leave with Anzu close behind. _All I can say for sure is that her mother is in town and plans on pretending to be Mrs. Mazaki, when she isn't involved in her husband's or daughter's lives at all. Ah...I wonder if she is as sad of a divorcée as I am? _

As soon as Mai returned to the opera, she felt Otogi's eyes lock onto her immediately. Smiling faintly to herself, she reflected, _If Otogi wasn't such a playboy kind of guy and if I wasn't such a high maintenance kind of gal, we wouldn't only be friends. I would never purposely try to get him, either. He and Shizuka are addicted to each other. With Jounouchi butting heads with me, and Otogi, too, there just isn't any way for them to be alone and have a serious, heart-to-heart talk. _Sighing a bit, she moved up the stairs and let her rouge lips curve in a reassuring smile. Glancing at Yami, she saw him playing a soft tune for her daughter who leaned against him, a dreamy expression on her face. "He's amazing with kids," she remarked in a low tone.

"He wants a family," her companion responded blandly. She raised her eyes in surprise and saw a thoughtful look on his features. "He's getting restless, Mai. It was pure luck that Anzu was in need of an accomplice and he took the job. If not, God only knows what he would have done with himself." He echoed Mai's earlier sigh, pushing a hand against his forehead, his fringe sticking up haphazardly. "Yami is a natural socialite. You don't know this, but he has to have constant company. He told me straight out that he wants to get married and settle down with a family. It would at least bring some joy in his life."

"So what's the problem?" She questioned with an arch of a light-coloured brow. "He can snag a woman easily."

"He wants to fall in _love_." Mai stared at him a moment and then looked away, her eyes dark with shadows. She had thought she wanted to fall in love, had thought that she wanted someone and she had found Jounouchi. He had been craving a less familial love and had found her. She hurt him and then he had hurt her. Love wasn't as great as the romance novelists made it sound. Love wasn't this great, blinding moment that helped people through tough situations. Love didn't withstand every crisis; Mai had discovered that the difficult way.

"No, Otogi," she murmured low enough so only her ears heard, "he doesn't."

X

_What a stressful day! _Anzu thought, yawning as she exiting the café. _I can't believe how many petty arguments I broke up between customers. I didn't think that musicians were that violent. Emotional, sure, but geez, talk about overreacting. _She paused a few steps from the café as her cell phone rang. Blinking in puzzlement, she picked it up and answered, "Hello?"

"...Anzu," came her father's cautious tone. Her shoulders stiffened and she kept silent, still upset with his actions a week and some days ago. She heard him sigh over the phone, but she refused to react to the sorrow that she could sense in the weary release of breath. "Anzu, please, I called to apologize. I have something important to say that might upset you some and I know you won't listen unless I apologize properly. I...I know that I reacted badly towards your pianist, but I..." He cursed softly and Anzu sagged to the sidewalk, burying her free hand in her hair as he struggled with his thoughts.

_Oh, daddy..._ _I wish I could talk to you, but what you did... _

"Anzu – " He tried again, but suddenly stopped and then mumbled, "I'm sorry. Goodbye."

"W-wait!" She gasped to the empty line. She snapped her phone closed and clenched it in her hands for a moment, considering over throwing the phone across the street.

"Anzu?" An unfamiliar voice queried from above her. Jerking her head up, unaware of her tears, she peered up in the dark at Honda Hiroto's face. Startled slightly at his genuinely concerned expression, she stood and gave a shaky smile. His gaze softened slightly and he dug in the bag he held, taking out a napkin, offering it silently. "...You're crying," he explained at the confused twist of her face.

"O-oh...Thank you." She took the napkin and wiped her face, smiling weakly. "I don't know why I should be crying. There's nothing to cry about." Honda didn't allow himself to reply, watching her wipe her face with shaking hands. His shoulders drooped and he sighed through his nostrils, looking from her as a car sped past them towards the waiting streetlights. "What, um, are you doing out here, Honda?"

Returning his gaze to her, he gave a soft smile, shrugging as he answered, "I don't know. Just..." He trailed off uncertainly, shrugging again. He hadn't realized that, after he called Jou and was informed that Anzu would be staying late to clean up the café, he had involuntarily stepped into this neighborhood and bought food from a restaurant, some of which he couldn't eat himself. Maybe his mind had been pushing him towards a more comfortable friendship towards Anzu – and he suspected that was the case – or he had been mind controlled by someone. Seeing as how the latter idea was totally barbaric, he rationalized that he had finally grown to like Anzu as a friend. "Actually, Jou told me you were staying late and I figured you'd be hungry, so I..." He let his sentence trail again, ill-equipped in handling conversations with women, no matter what the circumstance.

"Oh." She blinked and then laughed, a smile spreading across her mouth. "That would be wonderful, Honda." Her smile drooped downward a second later and she asked, "Did Jou send you out?"

"No!" He said a bit too loudly. Sheepishly, he added, "No. It's nothing like that, Anzu. I just..." He let out a heavy sigh. "Look. I suck shit at expressing what I mean through words. I've been a bitch to you and usually I am, but it was purely because I didn't want Jou to get fucked over by another girl. Mai has done it already and I was afraid, if you two became more than friends, you would do the same. I didn't want to have to pick sides like Otogi did."

Anzu reached out and put a hand on his arm, saying, "Then I'm _glad _you were being a bitch to me." He chuckled and ushered her forward.

"Come on, let's eat. I'll be heading over to Jou's, you want a lift?"

"Yeah, sure." _I could use some time with a group of friends, _she decided.

X

Shizuka heard the phone ring and wiped her hands of the mixture of hot water and soap from the sink on a towel, moving towards the cordless, black phone. She flicked a look towards the living room where Jou was perusing through their encyclopedia set for something. Smiling at the concentrated look on his face, she pushed the 'Talk' button and answered cheerfully, "Katsuya residence, Shizuka speaking."

"How are you, Shizuka?" A warm, promise-filled voice replied. She swallowed, realizing it was Otogi. She knew that he had never lost the phone number since when she had been living here alone, but since he had never called before, she hadn't been expecting it now. Dropping the towel on the table, she hurried to the entry hall to have some privacy. "Hello?" His voice came to ear, this time more worried.

"Otogi, please," she whispered, "you can't call me. What if Jounouchi had answered?"

"I had a plan," he smoothly assured her, "so let's enjoy the privacy while we can, hm?" Shizuka clenched her eyes shut and pursed her lips, forcing the tears back. She had promised that she would break his heart if she had to, just so that she could spare her brother's feelings, just so that she could keep any conflict between him and Otogi at bay. She didn't want to hurt him; it was the last thing her heart desired. How could she pretend that everything would be alright, though? How could she pretend that they could be in love when it was virtually impossible?

"No, Otogi, you don't understand..."

"Excuse me, but _what _don't I understand?" He politely inquired, a tone of temper entering his voice. "Explain to me, Shizuka."

"I...I just can't talk to you!" Her voice had risen from the whisper, a hysterical edge forming on the ends of her words. "How can you not understand that? I can't see you, I can't talk to you. It's done and over with, so please, just..." _Can I say it? _"...Just leave me alone!!" She stabbed at the 'Talk' button again to end the call just as Jou came stumbling into the entry hall, his eyes wide with concern.

"Sis? What's wrong? Who's bothering you?"

"_No one_, Jounouchi." She took in a shaky breath and stood, her hands clutched around the phone as a lifesaver. "I have to finish the dishes..."

"What? Hey! Shizuka!" He started after her, but seeing the set of her shoulders, he stopped, a befuddled expression covering his features. After a pause, he just sighed and rubbed his head, returning to the den. It wasn't any of his business what his sister did and when she was upset, it wouldn't help any to bother her and have her talk about it. He had learned, after the first month of living with her, that she was the type of female that preferred to rage inside her head than to another person.

X

_What the hell is going on? _Otogi demanded, staring at the phone, sitting upright, his eyes blazing. He had been pleasantly lounging on his couch, ready to talk just as pleasantly to the woman he loved when he got such stinging words as that. Shizuka probably didn't realize how every word had stabbed a separate needle in his heart, but it was becoming glaringly apparent that unless he dealt with the problem of her damned brother, he would never be able to talk to her civilly again. Even the conversation at dinner with Anzu had been strained, as though something was lurking in the back of Shizuka's mind. "Well, to hell with it all!" He snarled aloud, bouncing to his feet and grabbing his car keys and jacket. "I won't let something as small as Jounouchi Katsuya stop me!"

As he drove somewhat madly to the apartment complex where the Katsuya's dwelled, he was inwardly hesitating. Honestly, he had no desire to start a fight with Jou, but his options had become limited. He considered calling Yami, just in case he needed backup, but he didn't want to get _him_ wound up. Who _knew_ what kind of punch Yami had when he was pissed off. Personally, Otogi had no intention of finding out.

When he pulled up in the parking garage beneath the Katsuya's home, he saw Honda Hiroto and Yami's dancer arriving on a motorcycle. Temporarily stunned by the sight of them together, he stared for a moment, crazy, nonsensical ideas racing through his head. Shaking them off and deciding that dealing with them later would be the more intelligent thing to do, he ran past them and up the steps to the apartment number Shizuka lived at. He gave the door a good banging and waited patiently until the door was opened by the male resident. "Jounouchi," Otogi politely greeted, his blood boiling beneath his calm mask.

"Hey, Ryuuji..." Jou replied amiably, his gaze wary. "What brings you here?"

"Otogi?" Anzu piped from a few feet from them, Honda at her side, looking as cautious as his best friend. "What's going on?"

"We definitely arrived at the wrong time," Honda muttered gloomily beside her. She cast him a questioningly look, but he chose not to answer. If he knew Otogi Ryuuji – and as it happened, he knew him rather well – the look in his bold, emerald eyes could only mean that it wasn't entirely Jounouchi whom he had business with. He had known Otogi's attachment to Shizuka when he first met Jou's sister, but never suspected it would come to this. The only obstacle lying within Otogi and the female in speaking was her brother and as obstacles go, this was a pretty damned difficult one to pass by.

Hearing Honda's comment, Jou's expression darkened considerably and Otogi was reminded which of the two was the less violent musician and who was the violent moving man. He didn't back down, though, keeping his gaze steady and attempting to ignore the slight shaking of his fingers. "I see..." Jou quietly stated, his eyes taking Otogi in piece by piece, as if he were a wolf and Otogi were a lamb. "So." He glared at Otogi and cracked his knuckles experimentally. "You want to continue with this or turn around and go back to your car and your violin, pretty boy?"

"Jou..." Anzu nervously began. Honda just shook his head at her.

"I'm not leaving anywhere, Katsuya, until we straighten a few things out," Otogi informed him a bit cockily. Jou's jaw tightened and he looked even more threatening before, if that was even possible.

"Jou? What's going on?" Shizuka pushed through and her face paled at the sight she was faced with. She whipped around to look at her brother, who didn't so much as remove his gaze from Otogi. Tugging on his arm, she demanded, "Jou! What is all of this? Why...why is Otogi here?"

"He's 'straightening a few things out,'" Jou quoted, his mouth twitching upward in a humorless smirk. "Well, he seems to think he is, anyway. Go back in the house, Shizuka."

"No! Jou, please! Let him leave!"

"Ya think I didn't try?" He snapped, jerking his head to look at her. "Why are you asking _me_ questions, Shizuka? The goddamned guy hasn't come by for ages and suddenly he pops up out of nowhere, not ta mention, right after that weird-ass phone call you had a half hour ago." He shoved a finger towards Otogi without actually looking at him. "You want to explain to me why this is all suddenly starting? _Huh?_"

"Jounouchi, please," Anzu quietly spoke up in the silence that had taken hold, "it wasn't Shizuka's fault. It was mine. I invited Otogi over when you were gone, knowing he wanted to see her and – "

"Well, _what _do you _fucking _know!" Jou howled, turning his fury on Anzu. "What right do you have to let them see each other when I'm gone?"

"Jounouchi!" Shizuka snapped. He turned to look at her and she slapped him across the face, surprising him. He was quiet for a long time, shocked at the hit. It hadn't only harmed him physically, but emotionally, as well. His sister had never slapped him before. "Can't you understand?" She whispered, tears overflowing from her eyes. "I _love _him. If you can't accept that..." She didn't finish her thought, shoving past him into the apartment.

"Shizuka!" Otogi called, his expression of pain at seeing her cry. He didn't attempt to enter, though, seeing as how it wasn't his home and Jounouchi was standing right there. True, he was immobile and didn't appear consciously aware of anything, but he was there nonetheless.

"Jou?" Honda snapped his fingers in his friend's face and the latter jerked, his face twisting into an ugly expression. "Hey, man, are you alright?" Jou darted a look to Otogi and backed into the apartment, his expression never changing.

"Go away." He slammed the door in their faces and they could hear the locks being set on the door.

X

DIS: Yikes. Jou's being a little more than protective. There was more to this chapter, but I cut it out because it was getting long and I put it in the next chapter. Kill me if you want, but that's how it works in my world. Please, _please_ leave a review telling me how it was. I need feedback! I live on it! Ciao!


	9. Illicit temptations

_Chapter Nine, Illicit temptations_

Otogi moved forward, pressing a hand to the door and then leaning his forehead against it. Anzu's face softened sympathetically and she placed a hand on his back comfortingly. He raised a bunched fist, as though to throw it against the door, but only sighed and dropped it helplessly.

"Come on," Anzu soothed, drawing Otogi away from the door. She looked to Honda and he nodded. "Are you staying here?"

"I'll have a better chance at getting through the door alone than with you two here. Go on and take care of Ryuuji, Anzu. I'm sorry Jounouchi yelled at you, but...Well, you understand." She only nodded to show that she did before guiding Otogi's limp form away from the Katsuya residence and down the stairs to the parking garage. When she found his car, Otogi let out a shuddering breath and handed her his phone. She gave him a puzzled look.

"Would you mind...driving me to Yami's if it's alright with him?" Otogi asked, raising his head to meet her gaze. "I'd rather..." He didn't finish his thought as he slumped against the car and closed his eyes. Anzu went through Otogi's contacts, and finding Yami's number, called him.

"Otogi," Yami's smooth, deep voice answered pleasantly.

"Yami, hi," Anzu awkwardly responded, "this is Anzu. Otogi is...in some bad sorts right now – "

"Bad sorts?" Yami repeated, a slightly dark tone entering his voice. "Did the fool do something? Is it his injury?"

"No, no, it's nothing like that. He had a bad encounter with Jounouchi and needs some company. He wanted me to call and see if he could bunk at your house. He could really use some friendly male company right about now."

"Of course I don't mind!" He was hasty to assure. "Will you be driving him over?"

"Yeah."

"Okay. Well, I'll see you both soon, then."

"See you later."

"Bye."

She hung up and sighed, looking to Otogi who handed her his keys mutely. She took them and unlocked the driver's door, unlocking the others. Her mild companion stumbled around to the other side of the car to the passenger seat. "You'll have to give me directions, Otogi," she reminded him and he nodded. She started the car and after buckling her seatbelt, pulled out of the parking garage and following Otogi's quiet instructions. She almost considered going through his phone and calling Mai to tell her about this. However, she reasoned with herself that it would be better not. The woman had a child and a job to handle. A minor thing like this could be cured by some regular, boisterous male company; as it happened, the company had a name and it was Yami Mutou.

Anzu pulled into the driveway of the house Otogi had indicated, her mouth forming a small 'o' of amazement. Clearly, Yami Mutou was as famous of a pianist as she had assumed. The house was nothing short of impressive. She handed Otogi his keys and cell phone after she had cut the engine and after locking the doors, followed him up to the door. _I wonder how I'm getting home, _she thought idly. _I've only been home for a couple hours throughout this whole day! I was hoping to relax at Jou's house, but I guess today just isn't a lucky day..._ Otogi rang the doorbell and the door was opened almost immediately, Yami greeting them with a warm smile. Anzu's eyes popped open a bit at his unbuttoned, long-sleeved shirt that exposed his toned chest. _Look away, look away! _She obeyed her mind, choosing to stare at a rather fascinating white wall.

"Come in," Yami bade them warmly. When Anzu had shut the door, Otogi sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Let's go sit down and you can tell me what happened," he suggested to his friend. Otogi nodded, glancing at Anzu.

"Sorry, Anzu," he mumbled, finally realizing she was still in her work uniform. "You haven't even gotten home yet, have you?" She blinked and gave a quick smile, waving a hand.

"It's fine, Otogi. My friends are more important."

"Friends..." was his vague response.

Yami slowly eyed Otogi and then guided him towards the den, gesturing Anzu to stay where she was. She frowned, but obeyed his wishes, turning towards the room across the den. She spotted the gleaming concert Steinway laid out beautifully in the near-to-empty room and let her eyes moved over the rest of the room. The floor was hardwood and the only other object other than the piano was an ornamental plant in the corner. She glanced behind her and, seeing that Yami would be awhile, went to the piano and sat at it, sliding her fingers over the keys. Thoughtfully, she closed her eyes and positioned her fingers in the way Yami had once taught her to do. A smile played at the edges of her mouth as she imagined her being the pianist and Yami being the dancer. Giggling, she brought her hands to her mouth.

"What thoughts are so laughable?" Yami's dryly amused voice questioned. Startled, her eyes flew open and she saw that he was only a foot from her, leaning against the piano. She didn't need a nearly shirtless man that close to her. She carefully drew to her feet and moved to the other side of the piano.

"None at all," she hastily told him. "I was just being stupid." One of his eyebrows glided upward and he took her previous spot, tilting his head back to look at her.

"You had your fingers positioned right. Would you like to learn a song?"

"Not today, I don't think. Is Otogi alright?"

"I took him to the guest room to sleep. He didn't want to wake up in a lonely house, that's all. He's having trouble coping with the reality that because of Mai and Jou's divorce, there isn't any chance of him getting to Shizuka. Or, at least, that's how he sees it." Yami glided his fingers over the keys, a quiet, soothing tune erupting from the piano. "If I know Jounouchi – and mind you, I have known a few men like him – Shizuka's statement will sink in and his better instincts will come over. Everyone has family problems, especially siblings, but they will get over it."

"But Otogi is alright?" She persisted.

"He reacted irrationally tonight," Yami brazenly said. "I told him so and he seems to realize that." Pausing in his playing, he opened his eyes and peered up at her through his strangely long lashes. "Today's today and tomorrow's tomorrow, Anzu. Once everyone has a better grip on their mood, things will settle themselves. They always do." She nodded slightly, sliding beside him on the bench and watching him as he continued to play. They remained like that for a long while without any change until her phone rang. Yami once again paused so that she could hear.

"Hello?" She mumbled into the phone.

"Hi, Anzu," Honda's weary voice replied.

"Hi, Honda," she echoed. "Did Jounouchi let you in?" Yami tried to pretend that he wasn't listening, but even he could hear what Honda was saying since the volume was up so high.

"Yeah...He's pretty upset. He's a wreck, really. He doesn't have a clue what he wants to do, Anzu, and...Well, you know how these kinds of things are. In any case, Shizuka has been in her room ever since she left the door and Jou is sulking in the living room. He keeps asking me whether Otogi would take good care of his sister and when the baby will be coming. I don't know what the hell that means, but it seems like Jou is getting a _little _less crazy." Yami turned his head to stare at the piano keys.

_Protective brothers are the hardest to deal with, even more so than fathers, _Yami mused as Anzu responded to Honda. _I imagine it's hardest on them, too, seeing this tiny girl that they used to carry on their shoulders being changed before their very eyes. It's worse for Jounouchi. He's been divorced and knows what love can do to a person. Perhaps that's why he's reacting so violently. I can't imagine he would blow up on Anzu like Otogi had mentioned. _He shifted his gaze to her as she hung up and let out a breath. _Something happened in Jou's marriage that has caused him to be this way. _"How are you?" He asked gently.

She shook her head helplessly. "I don't really know, Yami." He patiently waited for her to continue. A small, helpless smile tilted her lips upward. "Today had started out decent. I mean, practice went well and Mai apologized to me...And then it was all shot to hell. People kept arguing at the café, and then my father called and ended up hanging up because I wouldn't talk to him and now _this_. I just..." She drew her bottom lip between her teeth, pushing her hands through her hair, yanking at the strands in distress. Yami reached over and gently removed her fingers. She turned a startled gaze to him and he dragged his own over her face.

"Now." He wiped the tear that escaped. "Don't get upset over a bad day. Everything will be better by tomorrow." She dropped her head, but he only brought it back up with his hand cupping her chin. "Alright?" She didn't answer for a moment and then nodded, a reluctant smile spreading her mouth outward. He nodded and tentatively brought her to his side, his arm around her shoulders. It wasn't wise for him to touch her, as he very well knew, but it seemed to him that the best thing she needed right then was physical comfort and although it was a danger to his good senses, he would risk it to see her usual, beatific smile.

Laughing slightly, Anzu drew away a few moments later, her cheeks a bit pink. "I need to get home, Yami. If it wouldn't be any trouble, could you maybe give me a ride?" He rose to his feet as she did, gesturing towards the hallway.

"Not at all," he assured, taking note of the colour in her cheeks. Yami had been aware of his attraction to her from the start, but knew better than to get involved with a partner. He had seen pianists do it, especially those involved in duets and had seen, more than once, one or both people falling apart. The relationship, and often enough, career, never lasted long when that happened. It wasn't the career part that bothered Yami. He had grown bored with the same routine_. _

_And it isn't exactly the relationship part, either, _he reflected as he took his jacket from his closet and grabbed his car keys from the den. _I suppose it's just Anzu. She's still so young. I couldn't ruin her career and make her hate men because of anything between us. No, even though it's true that we have a mutual interest in each other, I am a better man, knowing the consequences, and will not let myself get involved with her. It's better for us altogether. _Even as he made the promise, some deep part of him contradicted it, knowing him too well, and knowing that the promise could be easily broken.

The ride to Anzu's apartment was generally silent besides his occasional question of which way he should turn and her response. Yami was struggling with his inner battle and Anzu, being the more naïve and innocent of the two, was wondering whether what she had earlier considered as simply friendly actions were more than thus. It was a boggling question and one that she didn't particularly enjoy dwelling over. As much as she found Yami handsome and enjoyed his companionable criticism of her dancing, she didn't want to look too much into things and ruin what she already had with the pianist.

_I am being ridiculous, _she concluded as he pulled into the parking lot. _I'm going to dismiss it all as being friendly, pretend that I didn't want to stay in his arms when he hugged me and... Okay, Anzu, now you're just being stupid. You can pretend what _he _feels is something else, but you can't deny what _you _feel. Ugh. Whatever. _"Thank you, Yami," Anzu presently said, turning to smile at him. "Should I...come to the opera house tomorrow?" He rubbed a hand over his forehead speculatively and glanced at the digital readings on his stereo.

"Yes, we better. The auditions are getting closer. We have to get in as much practice as possible."

"Alright. Then I'll see you tomorrow morning?"

"I suppose you will." He smiled and reached over, smoothing her hair from her face. He dropped his eyes and took her hand, kissing her fingers lightly. "Goodnight, Anzu."

"...Goodnight, Yami." She slowly drew her fingers from him, as though she loathed to do so. When she exited the car, shutting the door quietly behind her, he let out a sigh and watched her dash towards the doors of the lobby of the apartment with a rueful expression. As that deeper part of him had suspected, he had broken his promise in less than an hour.

"...Damn," he mumbled, pulling the car of out 'Park' and into 'Drive.' He was growing more and more uncertain of his actions. He had never acted so foolishly out of hand with a woman before and wished he could change it. He had known Anzu for a small amount of time and even though it was true he had gone to bed with a woman almost as soon as he'd met her, it didn't change the fact that Anzu had hired him as her accomplice and that was all he should act as. _Forget it, _he decided. _Let her make the decision. She won't be as likely as to break the same promise over and over again ever hour she makes it. _He smiled at that and pulled from the parking lot into the street, satisfied.

X

The brisk, morning air that drove through Sakura's hair was pleasant, but the coolness of it was different to her. She had decided yesterday after settling on the house she would move into that she would pay a visit to her old family. She imagined that her husband wouldn't want to talk to her and not wishing to invoke him into cardiac arrest, Sakura had resolved on speaking with her daughter so that Anzu could at least give him fair warning. As she stepped into the opera house, she felt a heavy melancholy fall on her. Although after coming to Domino she had assured herself that she regretted nothing, Sakura wondered if she actually did. The pianist she had run off with had died a few years after they were together, leaving her with a broken heart and a lost conscience. She had considered returning to her husband and daughter, but knew that was not possible. The only reason for her search for them now was that she had learned they had left the house Anzu had been raised in, the house that her husband had struggled to remain in for so long.

_I suppose it came as a shock, _Sakura reflected as she followed the soft music of Tchaikovsky's, moving ever closer towards the auditorium. _I suppose...it finally meant that they – that _he_ – was moving on._ She came upon the doors and then let her gaze move to the doors that opposed the doors she was facing. She knew that they led to the balconies, but chose not to spy on her daughter. Quietly opening the doors, Sakura slipped into the auditorium and closed the doors just as quietly, glad for the lack of light, excepting the stage lights.

_My daughter... _She watched the graceful movements of the female on the stage, so like a swan. Her face was relaxed and she seemed to almost be in a dream-like state. Sakura moved her gaze to the man that stood near the piano watching, his arms crossed. _Yami Mutou, _she recognized instantly. _He is Anzu's accompanist? I'm amazed she could get such a man to play for her. He, like many pianists, is rumored to abhor dancers. _Sakura tore her gaze from him to return to Anzu and felt her eyes tear up.

"_Mommy, I'm going to be a dancer someday."_

"_And you'll be a beautiful dancer, Anzu."_

_You _are_ a beautiful dancer, Anzu, _Sakura thought, closing her eyes briefly. _I never knew that you would take it this far, never knew you had been so serious when you told me that you would be a dancer... I had disregarded it, as many adults do, since you were only a child. _The music cut off and she opened her eyes to see Anzu stopping, stretching her arms upward.

"You've been practicing," Yami remarked with a smile as he strolled towards her. "They want you to move like a swan." He gestured with a hand, almost touching her, adding, "You've accomplished that perfectly. You need to stay in time with the music, though."

"It would be better if I could dance when you are playing instead of that damned recording," Anzu pointed out, swiping at some hair. Yami smiled and Sakura did as well. She knew that she would have to reveal herself soon, but for the time being, she would enjoy this amusing banter between pianist and dancer.

"But how will I know if you keep with the music?" Anzu had no answer and perhaps he did, but as he turned towards the piano, he spotted Sakura and knitted his brows, calling out, "Hello. May I help you?" Sakura started a bit and Anzu looked to where Yami was as well. No recognition came into her eyes, likely because of the dimness.

"Maybe you can," Sakura answered, starting up towards the stage. Yami watched her with a puzzled frown on his lips as she started up the steps of the stage. Keeping her head down, Sakura hesitated on the last step that would bring her into the full, glaring beam of the stage lights. At last, she came into the light and raised her head. This time, Anzu did react. Her hands shot up to her mouth and she stumbled back, into Yami. "I am Anzu's mother."

X

Jou rubbed his thumb and index finger together as he stared out into the city of Domino. He hadn't spoken to his sister since last night and knew that her anger was justified. He also hadn't attempted to get her out of her room to eat or do anything. He had stepped out so that she would be given the chance to do at least that. He would let her sulk and throw a fit in her room for as long as she wanted. He didn't deny that it was his fault that she was in there and after a long night of thinking, he decided that he had most definitely been a brainless jackass towards Otogi.

_I thought it was just a crush, _he thought sullenly. _I mean, for Christ's sake, this is Otogi Ryuuji, the pretty boy with girls sucking on him every night. How could I have known that he hasn't been with a girl ever since he met Shizuka? How could I have known that he had fallen in love with her? Shit, how could I KNOW that Shizuka was in love with him? If Honda had told me this sooner than yesterday, I wouldn't have cared if he had taken sides with Mai or not, I wouldn't have reacted like I did to him last night..._ He sighed and rubbed his drooping face, having not gotten any sleep last night. _Fuckin' aye, man... Why did all this have to blow up in my face now of all times? _

X

DIS: Eek, yes, I know, you guys are probably thinking, "Screw Jounouchi! We want to know what happens between Anzu and her mother!" Well, too bad, so sad, and I know I suck, hehehe. Please leave a review to tell me how you liked this chapter! Ciao!


	10. Wrongs of the past

DIS: It's time to continue where we left off: with Jou pissed off and in deep shit; with Anzu and Yami facing Anzu's mother; and of course, with conflict between the characters facing every freakin' which way!

Thanks to **raygypsy714**, **ShinoHina4eva** (ah, but of course they are going to end up together...I am just taking my time. But yes, that was some subtle foreshadowing going on there,) **dancers of the night** (Yami and Anzu will get together eventually...Can't say for sure that it'll be soon!), **drkmagiciangrl25**, **journey maker** (to be sure, there will be more on the relationships of Otogi/Shizuka, Jou/Mai, and Honda/Miho even,) **arana**, **Midnight Chamber**, **ANZU&ATEM FAN** (don't worry, the questions will be answered sooner or later! I won't leave you completely hangin'!), and **Sakura Takanouchi** (yes, I am sorry for that. There is so much conflict going on that it can get confusing. But, you know, in real life, things don't just focus on two people...Probably why I have so many relationships in this story, lol.)

Enjoy the awaited chapter! :-)

--

_Chapter Ten, Wrongs of the past_

Yami's hands tightened around Anzu's small shoulders to keep her upright. He hadn't known what was so shocking about her being Anzu's mother, but apparently it was something quite remarkable or Anzu wouldn't be reacting so strangely. She had never mentioned her mother and at the time, he had found nothing wrong it, assuming she was busy a great majority of the time, but now he was beginning to wonder if she had ever been in Anzu's life at all. He pulled Anzu a bit closer so that her back was pressed against his chest. The elder woman observed this calmly, awaiting some kind of response from him. Just to be a little shit, Yami decided he would disappoint her and asked in his pleasantly deep, polite tone, "So?"

"I haven't seen Anzu since she was six," she said simply. "That was fourteen years ago..."

It was all beginning to roll together, albeit clumsily so.

"Then what are you doing here now?" He demanded. Suddenly irritated, he threw up a hand, snapping, "I haven't got the time for you popping up into her life unexpectedly just so you can tear it apart, just like I haven't got the time for any other distressing matter. She has auditions for a part in an important ballet coming up. If you think for one instant that I'm going to let you upset her and ruin any chance of her getting the main part, you clearly don't know how passionate a pianist can be." A wry smile touched Sakura's lips.

"Oh, trust me, Mr. Mutou, I know exactly how passionate a pianist can be," she assured. "I chose to love a possibly unreliable pianist over remaining with my husband and daughter." Anzu was jarred back into the world at those words, recalling the word

"passionate" used by her father, but not in the same manner as these two.

"_All pianists are lecherous; they are passionate about every thing they do and are womanizers. All they care about is their own happiness and _passion_."_

_He knew all along that mother had run away with a pianist, _Anzu realized, her eyes focusing on her mother. _That's why he treated Yami that way. He thinks that he'll lose me just like he lost her..._ "...How could you?" Anzu whispered, staring at her mother in disbelief. "How could you do that to your own family?"

"I fell in love with another man," Sakura stated quietly, careful to keep her eyes on Anzu lest she enrage her daughter any more than necessary.

"And so you just run off?" Anzu spat the words out, drawing from Yami's touch. "You give me ice cream, take me to see a ballet, and tuck me in with my father and you think it's all fine? Is that it?"

"That ballet inspired you, didn't it? Look at where you are now, Anzu. Do you think – "

"I don't care where I am now! We're not talking about _this_, we're not talking about _me_. We're talking about _you_. Who cares about me, right? Who cares if I fought and struggled to keep my dance lessons, right? Who cares how much _hell_ I went through with father because _you_ walked out on us without a by-your-leave, am I right?"

"Anzu, calm yourself," Yami advised softly. "Don't work yourself over her. It's not worth the trouble." Suddenly, Sakura's temper was sparked by his words.

"This is none of your business," she coldly told him.

"No?" Yami answered with a tone that overthrew any coolness she could deliver, his eyes dark pits of ice. "At this point, and you'll excuse my language, I couldn't give a fuck." Sakura stared at him for a long moment, reminded of her dead pianist lover, accustomed to the dark anger. All artists held that deep of an anger, that deep of a depression. It was the way that Yami Mutou moved around her daughter and kept a comforting touch to her that caused her some surprise. She hadn't thought her daughter would associate with him in that manner.

_Clearly she does, though, _Sakura thought. Her eyes drooped slightly with that realization. She didn't want her daughter to deal with much of the stress she had gone through when she was with her lover. For a moment, she looked away from them and heard Yami take the chance at her silence, talking softly to her daughter. _I never really had a moment of true happiness after I left Seiji. It might not be the same for Anzu, but I worry that she might deal with the same kind of relationship problem as I did..._ She turned her gaze back to the two and saw Anzu leaving the stage in quick strides. She took a step to follow, but stopped herself. _I came on too fast. _

"Are you happy?" Yami's cold, angry voice demanded. Sakura turned to him and frowned. "Whether you are her mother or not hardly matters, now does it? If you haven't seen or made any contact with her for the past fourteen years, why should you even deem to think you're allowed to be called her mother?" Her face tightened in fury and pain. She knew, deep inside, that he was right, but that didn't change the fact that she was there _now_.

"Mr. Mutou, you are in no position to judge me. You are well known to have degenerate parents, your father who was a literal _half-wit_. How can you judge me for falling in love, when your own parents slept around with different people without any qualms?" She knew, suddenly, that she was lowering herself to a level that she had never been at. His pale face was stark against the lights that beat down on the stage and she was reminded of how pale and lifeless her lover's face had been when he died. Her cruel words that she had thrown in his face rang in her ears, just as she remembered her deceased pianist's words, _"I respect Yami Mutou, as both a pianist and a friend, my dear Sakura. Please. Keep this amongst ourselves. He has been careful to hide his past. He may not seem like it, but Yami is a sensitive man. I would not like for him to be hurt by something he has been hiding so fiercely..." _

_What have I done? _Sakura thought, watching as Yami struggled to regain some sense of composure.

"Please leave," he quietly commanded, turning his eyes from her, appearing visibly shaken. Sakura stood, ashamed of herself, before fleeing the opera house. She had betrayed her husband, and now her lover, by dredging up an ugly past of his most respected companion. Already, she knew that nothing past this point would go smoothly.

--

After Yami took Anzu home, his mind buried elsewhere, he went home and unlocked the cupboard where vintage wine, brandy, and every other alcoholic drink imaginable was held. That Anzu's mother somehow knew of his past, one which he was so ashamed of and disgusted by, proved to him that no matter how many times he tried, he could never be better than them. _I do the same thing they do, _he reflected as he took the tall neck of a wine bottle, stroking it thoughtfully with his other hand. _I sleep with countless women and have no trouble in leaving them the next morning, whether they have developed feelings for me or not. _

His hand tightened around the slender part of the bottle and he turned from the cupboard, moving from the deep pantry and returning to the kitchen. Before he broke it, he set the bottle on the counter and released the cork from the bottle, throwing the opener in the sink listlessly. Taking wine glass and wine into the den, he settled on the couch and poured himself some wine. It had been years since he last drank as much as he intended to this night.

_Why, some people ask, is Yami Mutou such a nice, _polite_ pianist? _He thought bitterly as he drank deeply, pouring another glass. _What is he really like? What is he like behind closed doors, when he's alone? _He let out a low, merciless chuckle and whispered to himself, "A man that isn't a man at all."

Once again, he filled his empty glass, drifting down into a familiar oblivion.

--

Anzu woke late the next morning and was surprised that Yami hadn't called her. She fumbled with her cell phone, making certain that he hadn't. Seeing that she had no missed calls, she laid back in bed and wondered if he had decided to give her the morning off. As she laid there, quiet and without many happy thoughts, she considered over her options. There was nothing to do that day: it been some time since her father last called her, Shizuka still refused to come from her room, and Otogi, although back at his own home, had not opened his instrument shop since his encounter with Jou. Things were not going well in the city of Domino and Anzu knew it well.

_I can't fix everything, _she thought, _but I can at least warn daddy about...about that woman who is in town. After that, I'll call Yami and see if we can't make up the practice later on today. I think I can miss a day at the café. _Cheered slightly by these plans, she dialed her father's phone number and was rewarded with his aging rumble of, "Hello."

"Daddy," she greeted quietly, feeling strangely shy over the phone with him. She was no longer irritated by his irrational reaction towards Yami now that she was aware of where his hate for pianists stemmed from. "Daddy...She's in town. I mean...mother. She is in town."

"...Sakura is in town?" He questioned in a tone of shocked disbelief.

Anzu nodded, but remembered that he couldn't see her. "Yes, she was at my rehearsal yesterday." Her hand tightened around the tiny cell phone pressed to her ear and she clenched her eyes tight, trying to push the awful memory of that awkward encounter from her mind. A soft, soothing voice entered her mind and she smiled slightly, recalling how Yami had been at her side the entire incident. The feel of his warm hands clasping her shoulders had calmed her shaken nerves and even after Anzu had left the stage, he had remained to tell off her mother. _If he hadn't been there...If I had been forced to face her alone...What would have happened? And poor daddy – I hope she doesn't go after him next. He wouldn't have someone there to support him. It would be unbearable._

"Anzu? Are you alright?" Her father's voice interrupted her thoughts and she licked her lips quickly, surprised at how they had become dry so quickly.

"Of course, daddy, I'm fine." She hesitated and then quietly said, "Yami isn't like the pianist she ran off with. I...I would have broke down if he hadn't been there with me. He told her off and threw her off balance. I don't think she expected him to get involved." Her father sighed quietly on the other end.

"I intended to tell you all about that, Anzu, but you weren't talking to me. I figured that it might justify my actions somewhat. I'm sorry I never told you sooner. It's just...You and Sakura are so alike. She was a dance instructor before we married and eventually forgot all about dance by the time she gave birth to you and started her new job. She didn't want the life I offered her. I was afraid that Yami might hurt you. People in the music career generally don't have any permanent relationships."

"Yami isn't like that," was Anzu's obstinate response.

"I withhold judgment," her father replied just as stubbornly. There was a short pause before Anzu spoke.

"Daddy. When she comes, will you be okay by yourself?"

"...Thank you, angel, for worrying, but I'll be just fine." Anzu smiled sadly at the warmth that surrounded his tone. "Goodbye, Anzu."

"Bye, daddy." She hung up and sighed to herself as she fell back against her bed. She stared at the ceiling for a long time, holding her cell phone to her chest thoughtfully. After a pause, she browsed through her contacts and then dialed Yami's number. Rolling on her stomach, she waited while the phone rang. Frowning, Anzu looked at the tiny screen to make certain she had dialed the right number. _This is strange, _she mused. _Yami always answers his phone and always has it on him..._ His voicemail popped on: _"You've reached Yami Mutou. I'm busy at the moment, so please leave a message and your name and number. I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you." _

Anzu hesitated as she was given the option of leaving a callback number. Just after the beep, she hung up and snapped her phone closed. _I don't like it, _she decided, leaping up and hurrying to the bathroom. _I'll go check in on him since he's not answering his phone. As far as I know, he doesn't have anything going on today and he would tell me otherwise. _

--

Anzu stepped out of her car and glanced to the sleek automobile beside hers. There was no doubt that it was Yami's car. Knowing his distaste for taxis, she assumed he was at home. _He's an early riser, too, so he should be awake... Why didn't he answer the phone, though? Even if he was practicing, he would have answered the phone. Ugh, I really don't like this!! _Anzu shut the door and let her eyes wander over the neighborhood. It was only some ways away from downtown Domino and this particular neighborhood shouted, "Wealthy!" to everyone that happened upon it. She suspected it was mostly the prospering musicians and elderly that inhabited the homes here by the utter stillness and quiet of the streets.

Hitching her purse on her shoulder, she moved up the walk towards the porch. She stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell, stepping back to wait patiently. There was no response and the unease that had been festering ever since that morning increased. She rang the doorbell once more and banged on the door, uncomfortable with how loud it seemed in the silence that surrounded her. When there was still no response, she tried the door and cursed under her breath at how it barely moved. _Locked, _she thought sullenly. She stepped away from the porch and eyed the front. _It would be too obvious if I broke in from the front. I'll go try the back instead. _

Circling around to the back, climbing the fence and snagging her pants in the process, she paused briefly to take in the utter beauty of the backyard. A tiny pond was stationed in the very back and a weeping willow tree hung over it and the stone walkway around it. Turning from it to look at the patio, Anzu started towards the French doors that stood in the middle. She tried them and blinked as the handle went down obligingly. Quietly, she swung the door inward and crept inside, closing it noiselessly behind her. Anzu stood on the threshold a moment, taking in the utter silence of the home. A chill went up her spine, raising the hairs on the nape of her neck and on her arms. "Yami?" She called into the looming hush that fell around her. Receiving no response, she left the dining room, which she was in, to enter the kitchen. She gave a puzzled frown, noticing that the pantry was wide open.

She moved through the wide kitchen to the den and noticed a half glass of wine and an empty bottle overturned on the coffee table. Anzu froze, turning quickly and then returning to stare at the table. With utter cautiousness, she walked towards the couch and peered down onto it. Feeling the colour drain from her face, she rushed forward and knelt next to Yami, taking his pulse to ascertain that he wasn't dead. _Thank God, _she thought in relief, feeling a sluggish pulse beat beneath her cool fingers. _I hope it's only the alcohol that has his pulse so slow. _She eyed him and satisfied he hadn't been stabbed, flipped her phone open and called Otogi.

"Hello, Ryuuji Otogi here," a voice answered with a generous yawn afterward.

"Otogi, this is Anzu. I'm at Yami's. There's something wrong with him."

"What?" Alarm jumped in the male's voice. "What do you mean?"

"I...I don't know. I called earlier and when he didn't pick up, I dropped by his house and came in through the back. It looks like he's been drinking a lot, but I'm...I'm not sure if he was poisoned or – "

"Oh, I see," Otogi interrupted in a calmer, but sad tone. There was a long pause in which Anzu's fingers itched to hang up on him and call 9-1-1 just to be safe. When she was preparing to do just that, his voice returned, weary, despondent, and exasperated all at the same time, "Listen, Anzu, Yami goes through these episodes every once in awhile. He'll sleep it off and when he wakes up, he'll be in a bit of a strange mood, but other than that, he's sure to be fine after awhile." She sat, stunned at this information.

"I would feel better if I were here when he woke up," she said slowly.

"Go ahead," Otogi offered with a flippant tone to his voice. "It's your time, not mine." He hung up and she glared at the phone, snapping it closed irritably.

_Of all the nerve! _She thought furiously. _This is his friend and he acts as if nothing's wrong in the least! _Anzu paused at that thought. _Well, maybe nothing _is_ wrong, but I don't like the idea of leaving Yami alone in this empty house after he's drunk himself to sleep. Why would he do such a thing, anyway? And what did Otogi mean by "episodes"? _Shaking her head, Anzu tossed her phone and purse on the chair and collected the bottle and wine glass, taking them to the kitchen, throwing the bottle away and washing the glass. She returned to light the fireplace with its artificial, warming fire and sat down to wait.

--

Yami awoke, and his head was pounding with a horrible headache. He blinked once and then closed his eyes again to dull the pain in his temples. When it didn't ache as much, he noticed that he wasn't in as bad of sorts as usual. The room around him was warm contrary to the coldness it should have been. His body wasn't hanging from the couch, but fully on the couch and quite comfortable. The only thing that bothered him was his head. He slowly sat up and winced at the needles that pierced his skull. He opened his eyes and after they focused, he noticed the fireplace was lit up and the light in the den was on. He turned his gaze around and started in surprise, seeing Anzu curled up on the sofa seat.

Vaguely, Yami wondered how she had gotten in, but recalled his neglect to lock the French doors. Sighing, he stood up and rubbed his face, trudging to the kitchen for some aspirin. The light was on in there, too, so he wasn't given the arduous task of having to find it in his muddled state of mind. After he took the aspirin, he left back to the den and stood beside the seat that Anzu was slumbering in, gazing down at her with a curious expression. _She really is, _he reflected, _too good for me. _He reached down and brushed the hair from her face before sighing and shaking her gently. "Anzu," he murmured, his voice hoarse from his alcohol-induced sleep. "Anzu, wake up."

"Oh," she murmured as her eyes focused on his, "you're awake." She pushed a hand through her hair as he stepped back and leaned against the arm of his couch. "I came by since you weren't answering your phone and saw you lying here. I thought you had been poisoned or something at first and..." She trailed off, blushing at her rambling. "Sorry." Yami smiled pleasantly, although tiredly.

"It's fine, Anzu. Thank you for waiting for me, but it was unnecessary. How did you deduce I hadn't been poisoned, by the way?" Anzu didn't reply immediately, seeming reluctant to answer.

"I called Otogi," she confessed, "and he said it was nothing I should worry about."

"And he is very right," Yami assured with a steady smile. She saw the shadows in his eyes, though, and the tension in his body. She looked away, towards the fireplace and the artificial flames. After a moment, she raised her eyes to his and stood. He gave her a puzzled look as she approached him. She shifted and then went to him, putting her arms around his waist, her cheek resting on his shoulder. He was motionless a moment before enveloping her in his warm, long arms. Anzu closed her eyes against the tears that rose in her eyes. She wasn't entirely sure why they came, but knew she didn't want Yami to see them. She was dimly aware of how different this was than the one time Yami had hugged her. It wasn't brief, nor was it a hug that was presented with one arm.

She suddenly realized that the scents she had attributed to the theater, to the piano, and the stage were actually his own. The lulling smell of aging papers from sheet music, the twang of wine, and a spice that was either from his cologne or something else was all him. Her arms tightened instinctively because she knew that she wanted more of these embraces and to be able to know he was there simply by the mixture of delicious, foreign scents that clung to him. Even as her arms tightened around him, his were like a blanket around her, tight and secure. His face was pressed against her exposed neck and his

breath drifted through her hair and over her skin in gentle waves. Anzu smiled to herself, because for once in a very long time, she was completely content.

X

DIS: I especially liked that scene at the end of the chapter. I had suffered an unholy period of writer's block on this story, but it's better now. I really am liking this Yami/Anzu romance! It sucks that I only recently discovered the awesomeness of it, lol.


	11. A struggle for control

DIS: Hello, guess who's back? Yep, it's me with the eleventh installment of _The Notes Of My Heart_. I discovered that the one advantage to having been in chorus for four years is that you understand (somewhat) how to read sheet music. I never applied myself much in that class, so I have been struggling to interpret some of the classical music I've been going through. In any case, enjoy the next chapter! Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing.

--

_Chapter Eleven, A struggle for control_

Otogi looked up as the doorbell rang. He had been expecting either Yami or Anzu to call, but he had been blissfully allowed his solitude. Darkness had fallen only an hour ago, so he suspected Yami was awake by now. _I can only wonder how he reacted to Anzu's being there when he woke up, _he mused as he advanced towards the door. He rolled his recently wounded shoulder, glad that it only gave a slight twinge of pain. He unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. He blinked, a bit surprised to see who was outside his door.

"Hello, Otogi," Shizuka Katsuya murmured, raising her eyes bashfully. "Can I come in?" He nodded mutely and stepped aside to allow her entry. Once she was inside, he shut the door and turned to stare at her. Her cheeks coloured and she glanced quickly at him. "I...I haven't been talking to Jounouchi. He's gone tonight and tomorrow with Honda on a move. I thought I should see you now and...and apologize for what happened, so I'm sorry."

"Shizuka."

"Otogi?" She returned, blinking up at his solemn expression.

"Do you love me?" Her face turned redder and she turned her face away, twisting the end of her shirt frantically, her knuckles turning white with strain. She shakily nodded, her eyes becoming wet with unshed tears. Otogi smiled to himself and took her hands from her shirt that she was wrinkling. She turned to him, alarmed, but he merely placed soft kisses on the palms of her hands. She watched him, not speaking. "Well, I love you, too. It's...the first time I've said that to someone, you know." Still silent, Shizuka shook her head. His smile spread further and he gathered her in his arms. Her body relaxed as she snuggled close, sighing. "At least I was able to tell you..."

"Jou has to see reason, Otogi," she stated, raising her head, a determined look glimmering in her eyes. "I'll _make _him see reason! He's the only one that doesn't understand – even Honda does and he _hates_ you." Otogi's mouth twisted wryly at that remark. She pulled away and bit her lip. "And what's worse, I haven't see Anzu ever since that incident with Jou. As far as I know, neither has Jou. I don't want our relationship with her to be ruined. She's like the sister I never had." Otogi hesitated, looking away. Shizuka noticed the shift of his eyes and demanded, "Do you know something?"

"I spoke to her just tonight, but – "

"Is she at home?"

"No..." Shizuka stared at him, her eyes wide with question. "She's...actually at Yami's." Her eyes turned into saucers and her mouth dropped in horror. "As far as I know, it's nothing like that, Shizuka. Anzu got worried and went to his house. He's...ill...so she's staying there until he's feeling better. That's what I got out of it, at any rate." Shizuka frowned and looked away from him, gnawing on her bottom lip. "What? Why are you looking that way?"

"It's just...couldn't there be something between them? Yami is so eager to please her and Anzu...well, she seems to care a great deal what he thinks of her. She respects him _deeply_." She continued to worry her lip, but Otogi ran a hand through her hair reassuringly.

"Yami is a respectable man with his fair share of flaws, just as every man, Shizuka. Their relationship, however, is none of our business. What they do, they do. I will only confess to having the same suspicions as you, but nothing further." They weren't mere suspicions, either. Otogi could sense there were underlying feelings when Yami spoke to or looked at Anzu. What the female felt was debatable because, unlike Yami, she was either not as obvious in her affections as the pianist or she was still trying to untangle her feelings. Otogi was leaning towards the latter.

"Well," Shizuka sighed, leaning against him and closing her eyes, "I can only hope that if they do feel something for each other, Yami will take into account a very large, very protective factor."

"And that is?" Otogi queried.

"My brother."

X

Miho listened to the chatter of her family around her, but it sounded like a mere hum of voices. She wasn't one to dwell on things, as she was of a more sensible character, but her mind continued to inch towards Honda Hiroto. She was a bit disappointed that he was friends with Jounouchi Katsuya, but that didn't make her think any differently of him. She liked his easy, gentle company. He was the only guy she knew of that treated her with some decorum.

"Miho," her grandfather boomed, "would you mind taking out the trash?" He flashed a broad grin and she returned it in kind. The family reunion she had been invited to outside of Domino had gone well so far. She expected someone would start some sort of controversial argument and all hell would break loose. In the meantime, she would enjoy the peace and warmth in her grandparent's home.

She took the trash and after slipping on her sandals, padded outside. Darkness had fallen on the town an hour ago, the gloom covering it and its inhabitants like a cloak. The street lights on the narrow road, like so many other Japanese streets, filled the dark with a warm, welcoming light. She dropped the black bag into the trash can at the side of the house and sighed, moving towards the gate to lean against it and peer up at the heavens above her.

"...Miho Nosaka?" Startled, she turned to see two familiar males loping down the street. She straightened, feeling warmth fill her cheeks at seeing Honda Hiroto, who had been on her mind only a few minutes ago. Beside him, Jounouchi shuffled his feet, looking as if he wanted to move on.

"Oh. Hello...Honda." She glanced at his friend, who didn't raise his gaze up to her face. Guilty, and a bit ashamed at her recollection of how she had treated him last time, she quietly said, "Hello, Jounouchi." He slowly raised his head and gave a small, uncertain smile.

"Hey, Nosaka," he replied, seemingly relieved at her calm nature. "Didn't know you lived around here." Jounouchi glanced at Honda, who, besides his address to Miho, said nothing at all. He wasn't going to make conversation with her the entire time and since there was clearly an attraction between the two, he would have to play cupid and urge them towards each other. "We were on a job here. Right, Honda?" Jou pierced his friend with a look and his Adam's apple lurched as he swallowed.

"Right," Honda choked out.

"I'll go on ahead to the van," he cheerfully added. Before either of them could protest, he bounced forward, secretly pleased with how he had handled the situation. _Now, if Honda doesn't screw it up, he should have a date by the end of the night. _He frowned to himself. _But then again, when _hasn't_ he screwed up when it comes to girls? _

"So..."

Miho gave a tremulous smile. "So." There was a long silence that seemed thick to her ears. After debating with herself, she decided that since he seemed to be absorbed in some inner turmoil, she would start a conversation. She didn't want him to simply run off after Jounouchi. "So, um, Jounouchi mentioned that you two were at a job." She moved around the gate so that she could face him where he was situated under a street light. "What...kind of job?"

A look of puzzlement crossed his features, as if he couldn't fathom why she should want to know about his job, but answered, "We work for a moving company. We had a job here for yesterday and today to help this rich guy get moved into the old Tsubushi home." He rubbed the back of his neck and it was only then that Miho noticed his jacket hung over his shoulder; the only thing he had on was a short-sleeved, button-up shirt that was parted to reveal his wife beater. Avoiding looking at his chest and keeping her eyes fixed on his face, she smiled and nodded to show she was listening. His own mouth curled in a smile as he said, "We actually helped Anzu move into her apartment."

_There's a safe topic, _she thought. "Have you met her accompanist, Yami Mutou? He's a real sweetheart."

"I haven't met him," he admitted, "but Jou has and says he's a swell guy." He grimaced. "As far as I know, though, Jou and her haven't had any contact. They had a bit of an argument, you could say. You know how people are when they get angry. They say stupid shit." She nodded gravely.

"Of course. She hasn't seemed herself lately. I didn't want to ask, in case she thought I was prying. He's going to apologize, right?"

"Yeah, I gave him a good scolding." She grinned up at him.

"Are you always looking out for everyone else, Honda?" He blinked and looked away, his cheeks colouring slightly.

"Not...as much as I should," he mumbled, embarrassed. There was a pause as the two of them watched as a car drove by. Honda sighed and tucked his hands in his jean pockets to warm them. Their conversation had been so brief, but even Miho was getting a little cold. She cursed herself – not for the first time that day – for having neglected to bring a coat with her. The weather had been nice when she left, though, so how could she have known it would turn cold?

She gripped her arms, staring across the street, her eyebrows knitting together irritably at her own foolishness. Honda unfolded his jacket from his shoulder, noticing her shiver, and pulled it around her. She blinked and then blushed, taking the lapels of the coat and pulling them together. "Thank you..."

"No problem." He paused. "Listen, Jounouchi and I have to head back to Domino if we want to be back by morning. Why don't you keep that coat and when we see each other again, you can return it? We can...discuss other things, then, too." Miho turned her eyes up at him, feeling ridiculously excited at his 'discuss other things,' assuming he meant dinner or some other thing. Ruthlessly stomping on the thought, she forced her mouth upward and nodded.

"Yes, that would be really nice."

"Alright. Then I'll see you, Miho."

"Goodnight, Honda." He smiled and lifted his hand in a wave before shoving it back in his pocket and loping down the sidewalk. She watched him for a moment and then turned back towards the house, pushing her arms through the sleeves. The sleeves hung over her hands, but she took no notice of that, pressing the fabric to her face, inhaling the scent of cologne, oil, and the slightest hint of sweat. She loved it.

"Miho, where did you get that jacket?" Her mother asked in an alarmed voice as she entered the kitchen. The expected fight was starting, with her grandfather and two of her uncles glowering at each other, looking ready to enter a boxing ring.

"A friend lent it to me. He was in town and saw me." She knew that the smile she presented was dreamy by the arch of her mother's eyebrow, but ignored it. She was more eager than usual to return to Domino from this family reunion.

X

Jou sighed as he and Honda ambled towards their vehicles. Driving their U-Haul truck was exhausting, especially since he was used to a car and Honda was accustomed to driving his motorcycle. Generally Jou drove, but he didn't necessarily enjoy driving. The huge truck they used for transporting household furniture and such could be easily toppled over in the street if they went around a corner too fast. As it happened, both males loved driving fast, so the truck "cramped their style," so to speak.

"Honda, where's your jacket?" Jou asked, suddenly realizing that Honda had left the truck without anything but his shirt on.

"Umm," was all his friend said, fiddling with his motorcycle helmet. Jou rolled his eyes, already knowing by the sound of that "umm" where his jacket had disappeared to.

"Why didn't you give her your wallet and the rest of your clothes while you were at it?" He queried sarcastically. "Honestly, Honda, a grand gesture is one thing, but you're going to freeze your ass off driving your motorcycle home." Since it was only six-nineteen a.m., the air was relatively cool and while riding a motorcycle with only a shirt on, it would only be colder. With a grumble, Jou shrugged out of his jacket and threw it at his friend. "Just remember to return it this time, okay?"

Honda gave a relieved grin. "Thanks, Jou."

"Yeah, whateva."

X

When Jou stumbled through the door and heard the TV going, he knew something was wrong and had every expectation of a confrontation with his sister. He wasn't sure whether she was still angry with him, but apparently not since she didn't storm past him to her room. With a world-weary sigh, he rubbed his face and went to the kitchen, dropping his keys and a folder on the table. All he wanted at the moment was to take a shower and then go to sleep. Obviously he was one of the less luckier men in the world.

Turning into the living room, he blinked slowly, trying to understand what he was seeing. A pair of stubborn, jade eyes met his puppy-dog brown ones. Not only was Otogi Ryuuji in his house, but he was on his couch. Furthermore, his sister was curled next to the man, gazing up at him with a mild, calm expression. He pushed a hand through his thick, dirty blonde hair, staring back at them, at a loss of what to do. He hadn't slept yet, so his mind was slow in gathering his thoughts.

"I'm guessing having a tantrum isn't going to work this time?" Jou questioned with a weary smile.

"I'm going to date him, Jounouchi," Shizuka informed him without responding. "You're the only one that doesn't seem to realize how much I care about him." He avoided her gaze, looking at the TV and the news. The weather was supposed to be unpredictable this week. He wasn't really interested in that, but allowed his mind to grasp the simpler concept instead of facing the one his sister had shoved on him.

"Listen, Shizuka," he said at last, turning his eyes towards the carpet. "I knew all along that you loved him. I just..." He spread his hands out helplessly. "I've been through all of that. I was afraid you would fall head over heels in love, get married, have kids, and then everything would fall apart – you would get hurt or hurt him." Jou looked at Otogi instead of his sister, wanting to see if he was still being judged. The softening in the male's expression told Jounouchi all he needed to know: he understood.

"Jounouchi – " She began, but Otogi put a hand on her shoulder. She turned, surprised.

"That's all you had to say, Jou," Otogi said to him, smiling. "You don't have to worry about us, though. Things are...a lot different than they were with you and Mai. I'll wait for your permission, if it would make you feel at ease." Shizuka's jaw dropped in shock; this wasn't what they had agreed upon.

"Nah," Jounouchi answered, yawning and stretching his arms upward, "permission from me is harder to get than you think. Besides, I'll have someone else to bug while Shizuka is dating you."

"Oh?" One of Otogi's brows rose and even though he suspected he knew the answer, he asked anyway, "Who would that be?"

Jou flashed a wolfish grin. "Anzu, of course."

X

There was a loud buzz sounding in Anzu's head, but it didn't register to her. She was blissfully asleep in her own bed after a stressful day. After making certain that Yami was alright and after being reassured by him many times that, yes, he was fine, and yes, he would eat something and get some _normal_ rest, she had left to her own home and promptly collapsed in bed. Now, as she buried her face deeper into her pillow and the buzzing continued, she wondered vaguely whether that was her doorbell or her cell phone vibrating.

Groaning and rolling out of bed, Anzu stumbled to her feet, half-awake, to the door. She unlocked it and blinked blearily at the lovely face that was smiling down at her. It twisted into a scowl at seeing her state of bleary sleepiness. The second face, considerably lower than the first, beamed up at Anzu, who was blinking in disbelief.

"I would have thought," Mai Kujaku drawled, "that dancers would be accustomed to waking up early, hon."

X

DIS: (cackles) I was half-delirious when I was writing this chapter, as you may or may not have noticed. Now, now, what could Mai be doing at Anzu's house and how did she find out where she lived? Yaaayy, all of you who wanted Mai to stop being a wench will finally get their wish! Please leave a review and tell me how you liked it. Ciao!


	12. Women are women

DIS: A filler chapter about Mai and Jounouchi's marriage. More or less...Thanks for all of the reviews! I love reading every one of them!

_Chapter Twelve, Women are women _

Anzu glanced beside her at Rena, who was drawing a house in the middle of what appeared to be a jungle. Mai was seated primly across from her. She had removed her jacket to show that she was wearing only a glamorous tank top that seemed to glitter at Anzu from the depths of some pale water, so fair-skinned was Mai. She had been surprised at Mai's arrival, but not as surprised as what she had planned for the three of them to do that day.

"I called Shizuka up this morning," Mai had said as Anzu collected some paper and colouring pencils for Rena, "and more or less demanded for your address. You see, I have today off and instead of doing the norm with Rena – that is, sit around and be unproductive – I decided I would further my friendship with you. After all, it isn't every day that I have a girl's day and Rena will learn from us as we shop."

"Shop?" Anzu had sputtered, dropping the paper and earning a reprimand from the little girl a few feet away.

"That's right, we're going shopping. I'm taking you to all the hot places and we're going to get you a wardrobe that will turn on men in so many ways, you don't even want to know. Trust me, it will be fun. You'll see."

Anzu had never been the type of girl to be obsessed with shopping, much less with clothes and the endless amounts of accessories. She hadn't ever had the money or time to reward herself and although she suspected the places Mai was going to show her would be far too expensive for her to buy anything, she was a little eager to be out with her and Rena. Shizuka was sweet, and a good friend, but she always seemed to have something else on her mind and rarely got out herself. Anzu had never asked Miho to go out since they worked different shifts, so it was nice that she could actually go and do something that, well, women would do.

"Hon, you're not going out like that, are you?" Mai asked, setting her cup of tea down. Anzu looked down at herself. She had thrown something on so that she didn't look quite as frazzle-brained as she felt. By how her chaotic hair that stuck out from her bun and the blotchiness of her skin, Anzu was surprised Mai would think she would dare show herself in public like this. "Because if not," the beautiful blonde barreled on, "I would suggest you take a shower and get ready." Her violet eyes glittered wickedly. "We are going to be gone all day, if we're lucky."

"But, um, I have practice this morning and then there's work..."

"Yami won't care if you skip one day," she assured flippantly, waving a hand dismissively, "and you can take a mental health day at work. Everyone takes mental health days, especially women." Mai grinned, suggesting that she had taken more than one of those days. Anzu felt the corners of her mouth tugging upward, the other woman's cheerfulness sparking up her own.

"Alright, just give me twenty minutes."

"Yay!" Rena suddenly threw the pencils up in the air, standing up. Mai and Anzu looked at the little girl, raising their eyebrows, having thought she had been as oblivious of them as they had of her during the discussion.

X

Anzu listened to Rena's excited chatter with half an ear, watching Mai through the corner of her eye. There was the tiniest smile playing at the edges of her rouge lips and Anzu could sense how lonely Mai had been lately. She was almost certain that it had been a rough time with Shizuka, too, before they befriended each other. Now, Shizuka was just another reminder of her ex-husband. Anzu, at last, had no real attachments to Jounouchi besides friendship. She couldn't help but smile at that thought.

Rena had grown quiet and when Anzu looked back, she saw that she was staring intently out the window, seemingly fascinated by the play of images through the window. Turning back to the front, she cleared her throat daintily. "Um, Mai, you don't mind me asking something, do you?" Mai's violet eyes darted to her and she smiled knowingly.

"You want to know about mine and Jounouchi's marriage, don't you?" She queried, looking to the rearview mirror. Generally, Rena snapped to attention at the mention of her father, but she kept her eyes trained to the window as though entranced. "No one else has ever really asked _me_ and if they ask Jou...Well, as far as I know, he hasn't told anyone the real reason for our divorce." She paused, tapping her manicured fingers on the steering wheel as she sped through a yellow light.

"You don't have to tell me," Anzu hastily said when the silence lengthened.

"No, Anzu, I think you should know. I've never had a friendship with someone where there are no boundaries. I have Otogi, but there are some things you can't tell a guy, you know?" Anzu nodded, knowing very well how that felt, as she had had only her father for a long time. "There was Shizuka, but she's so young and naïve. I can't imagine that you're the same way." She looked from the road briefly for agreement.

"I've seen my fair share of the cruel life," she quietly replied. Mai flashed a quick, sympathetic smile. "Whatever you say here, I promise to keep between us. No one else should need to know."

"Alright, then." She hesitated and then continued, "Everyone thinks that our marriage fell apart because Jou and I were opposites, but that wasn't it at all. It did get irritating when people would look at us and wonder how we ended up with each other. They even dared to _ask_ how it happened. I liked how different Jounouchi was; it kept me sane because it wasn't like I was looking at a male image of myself. Anzu...I had an affair."

Anzu's head snapped around to look at Mai, shocked. With the warmth that she felt for Jounouchi, it was hard to imagine that she had allowed herself to do such a thing. By the slight flush in Mai's skin, it was clear that she was ashamed by her actions. "But...You still love him! I thought - ?"

"You have to realize that the perspective on things change after it all happens. At the time, I thought that Jou and I were growing apart. This was two years after Rena was born and...Well, I thought that it _was_ because we were so different that we were fighting all the time. I'm not smart when it comes to my emotions. I got angry and frustrated with the stress of raising a child and left during the night to meet a man. Jou knew all about it. It took six months before we filed for a divorce. He was trying to work things out with me, even as hurt and angry as he was about what I did. Then, I did it again and he turned...cold."

Mai gave a sad smile and looked to Anzu, murmuring, "It wasn't until you popped into Jou's life that I realized that it wasn't the differences that caused our marriage to fall apart. I had mistaken our responsibilities to Rena as us growing apart and..." She sighed. "Really, it was all my fault."

"But you still love him," Anzu pointed out as Mai changed lanes, barely glancing over her shoulder to see if the lane was clear. "I can tell that you do. Jounouchi is so hard to figure out, though. I mean, he's open, but not open about you for some reason."

"Of course not. I hurt him deeply, Anzu. Let me ask _you_ something, now, Anzu." The younger female nodded. "A woman came to me some time ago to buy a house and she claimed that she was _Mrs._ Mazaki. I thought it was strange because women generally never come to buy a house by themselves. They are usually with some kind of spouse or male relative or else they don't come at all. I'm curious whether it was your mom or not."

"It was..." She slowly answered, her tone purposely blank. "She left my family for another man when I was six. My father could barely afford to keep the house going after she left. It was just that abrupt. Neither of us saw it coming. She gave no signs or indications that she was unhappy or involved in an affair." Anzu laughed shakily. "Daddy hated Yami on sight because the man she ran away with was a pianist. He figured Yami was just another wife-snatcher. He even called him lecherous to his face."

"How awful," Mai murmured. "Rena adores Yami. He treats her like his own daughter and is so kind to her. If I wasn't still attached to Jounouchi, I would probably go after him myself. I can tell that Otogi loves him, too, even if won't admit it. They've been best friends for such a long time. Yami usually travels often though, so I was never given the chance to meet him until recently. I actually had no real reason to until now, I suppose."

"He _is_ wonderful," Anzu agreed faintly as they turned and pulled into the mall parking lot. She was drifting away from the car, from Mai, from shopping – from everything, returning to the night before when she had been snuggled in Yami's warm embrace. She smiled dreamily, remembering his light kiss on her forehead when he bid her farewell at the door. On the way home, she had been sulking a bit, wanting much more than a chaste kiss such as that.

"Anzu?" Mai's amused voice broke through her thoughts. She blinked and turned to Mai to see that she was out of her seatbelt. Rena was clamoring around in the backseat now that the car was unmoving and the sight outside was more than a bit uninteresting. "Hon, I can't believe you're falling for your accompanist." Anzu's cheeks turned pink and she unbuckled her seatbelt and hastily stepped out of the car, feeling a bit embarrassed that Mai had figured her out so easily.

"I'm not _falling_ for him as you put it," Anzu huffed, slamming the door. Rena smacked the window and Anzu opened the back door for her while Mai met them, her lips curled in a disbelieving smirk. "He's just...an amazing man. I mean, have you ever met someone as polite and helpful and handsome as him? _I _haven't. It's just an attraction, nothing more. If I was falling for him, you would know it!" She nodded her head to affirm her words, but Mai was staring at her with raised eyebrows. Suddenly realized she had practically ranted, Anzu flushed and pushed her purse up on her shoulder more firmly.

"Alright," Mai said with a shrug and her leer in place. "If you say so. Enough of matters of love, men, and life, though!" She swung Rena up in her arms, thrusting an arm into the air. "We're here to _shop!_" Rena gave a cry and hung her head back, pumping her arms in the air. The two women laughed and continued up towards the mall to spend their money.

X

Shizuka entered the opera house beside Otogi, running her eyes over the massive arches above her. The piano music drifting from the stage echoed around her, seeming to encase her in a warm embrace. Shaking off the feeling, she moved a bit closer to Otogi, her fingers entwined in his. He smiled reassuringly down at her. It was strange, she reflected, to see Yami in what she considered his natural habitat. For Otogi, it was his shop. The opera house, however, was where Yami was most of the day, his fingers dancing over the piano keys, drawing up intricate combinations of notes.

The music halted as they came on the stage and Yami rose from the bench, circling around to the other side of the piano, propping his hip against it as he crossed his arms over his chest. A dryly amused look was on his face as he said, "Do you have any idea, Shizuka Katsuya, what your friend decided to do today instead of coming to practice?" His easy way of addressing her startled her for but a moment until she found enough courage to shake her head.

At her gesture, he barreled forward, "She had a 'girl's day out.' At first, I thought she might be going out with you or she had some sort of woman's issue that kept her from dancing. Seeing as how you are here and she told me she would call later when she her 'girl's day' was done, I can only conclude that there was something else behind her words."

"How odd," Otogi remarked, raising his eyebrows. "Anzu doesn't know many people well enough to simply go out shopping with them."

"Shopping?" Shizuka repeated.

He spread a hand out while she and Yami turned puzzled looks to him. "That's what a 'girl's day out' is. You don't think they simply sit around chatting, do you? Sure, they talk, but _while_ they're shopping." When they continued to stare at him with utterly baffled stares, he rubbed the back of his neck and said somewhat abashed, "In my experience, that's what most women mean when they use that term..."

"I think you might have too much experience, Otogi," she teased, bumping him with her hip. He continued to look uncomfortable with the conversation while Yami seemed to consider over what Otogi had said. "In any case, the only woman that Anzu knows who would take a whole day shopping is Mai. Miho is out of town, so it can't be her."

"Mai?" Otogi repeated, frowning. "I can't think that she and Anzu would go out together, but..." He dug in his pocket and emerged with his cell phone, scrolling through his contacts briefly and choosing Mai's name. He waited with Yami watching him with a touch of curiosity.

"Hey, hon," Mai answered on the second ring.

"Hey yourself," he replied. "You're not out with Anzu today are you?"

"As a matter of fact, I am. I took her and Rena shopping. Is Yami asking after her? You can tell him that he's not getting her back today. Anzu needs some healthy time with the ladies, after all. You better make sure he doesn't start calling her cell phone or I'm going to bring the almighty wrath of PMS down on both of you."

"Would you mind not discussing your personal bodily details with me?" Otogi snapped, disgusted. She snickered on the other line and he was almost certain that he could hear another set of laughter in the background; Anzu's, no doubt. "I'll tell him. We just wanted to know whether you had kidnapped her or not."

"Well, I did. Anyway, I'll call you later, Otogi. We have a lot more shopping to do."

"You do that. You can tell me all about it if you want and I might even listen."

"Mmm...I might not want to tell you about it," she taunted. "Goodbye!"

He gawked at the phone as the call ended and then punched the 'End' button, glowering irritably. Shizuka peered up at him with a questioning smile on her lips. Yami raised his eyebrows, just as eager for information as Otogi's girlfriend was. "They plan on shopping all day and Mai had me warn you not to call Anzu or else she was going to bring that 'special' kind of anger down on both of us." Yami looked blank for a minute and then comprehension dawned on his face. "Personally, she could have kept that part to herself and simply threatened me with anger. That would be enough for me." Shizuka laughed as Yami slowly nodded in agreement.

"I thought men talked about those things with each other all the time?" She asked. "I know Jounouchi and Honda do."

"With each other," Yami responded soberly, "not with women."

X

Mai pulled next to the curb in front of the doors of Anzu's apartment complex. Rena was fast asleep in the back, all the strenuous activity having gotten to her. The day had gone well and even though Anzu hadn't expected it, somehow with Mai she _had_ been able to extend the shopping trip for the entire day. "You know, I've never gone shopping with another girl before," Mai confessed, smiling. "I'm glad that you came with us today, Anzu."

"I'm glad I came," Anzu answered sincerely. "We're going to have to do this more often." Mai's face lit up a bit in hope and then she leaned forward and hugged Anzu briefly. Soft perfume and hairspray clung to Mai like a cloud, but she somehow managed to make the mix of scents pleasant. "Goodnight. Tell Rena I said goodbye." She opened the door and took her bags.

"I will. Talk to you later, hon."

Anzu waved and then shut the door, moving up to the apartment doors as Mai drove away. She unlocked the door with her card and then trudged to the elevator, releasing a heavy breath. She still had to call Yami, as she had promised she would. When the elevator stopped at her door, she hurried down to her door and unlocked it, stumbling through into the dark, dropping her bags beside the door.

Anzu flicked a light on and then closed the door, reaching into her purse and withdrawing her cell phone. She went to the kitchen to start a kettle of hot water for tea and then dialed Yami's number. She slumped at the table, sighing through her nose. After waiting awhile, Yami finally answered in his familiar, rumbling voice, "Anzu." Her heart leapt into her throat and she shoved it down angrily, furious with its disloyalty.

"Yami," she answered, cursing herself for sounding breathless. "I'm sorry I didn't call you earlier. I just now got in the door."

"That's fine. I was a bit surprised that it was Mai you went shopping with. I hadn't thought you two were that close."

"Neither did I," she admitted, hearing the beginning scream of the kettle. Cradling the phone between her shoulder and cheek, she moved to the stove and with a hot pad, lifted the kettle from the heated burner to a cooled one. "She just showed up this morning and told me that we were going shopping. I hardly ever get to go out with anyone, though, so it was a nice change." She poured the water in a teacup she took from the cupboard and settled a teabag in it, gently shifting it with her spoon.

"Hmm. The auditions are next week, Anzu. I have an idea. On the day that you do the auditions, we'll go out for lunch. Two days later, when you get your results, I'll pay for an expensive dinner."

"You don't have to do that," Anzu told him, surprised. "And besides, what if I get bad results?"

"You won't," he assured. "Trust me, Anzu, there isn't any possible way they can deny you the part you earned. And besides, tomorrow I'm having a friend of mine come in to monitor your practice so that you can dance to my original music. He's a dance instructor and pianist, so I feel confident that any mistakes we might have now will be easily remedied."

"You're so good to me, Yami," she sighed. "I can't believe I ended up with you as an accompanist. I really don't deserve it." She took a sip of her tea as he spoke.

"No...It's me who is undeserving." He paused. "You must be exhausted," he said more brightly. "Mai seems like the type of woman who would do hardcore shopping. Get some sleep and we'll talk tomorrow. It should be exciting to have our work evaluated."

"I already know I won't be able to sleep tonight," she grumbled. Yami laughed in reply.

"Goodnight, Anzu."

"'Night." They hung up and Anzu sat at the table with her teacup warming her hands. She stared out the balcony windows thoughtfully and then smiled to herself, taking another sip of her tea. _Maybe we both are undeserving of each other, _she mused.

X

DIS: (cackles) Who could Yami's friend be? And don't worry, somewhere around the auditions, a wave of hot romance between the two is going to come! Aren't you excited? I am! Please leave a review telling me how I did. Constructive criticism is always accepted, of course. Ciao!


	13. Words are failing

DIS: It took me such a long time to find inspiration for this. I went through a period where I could not write, no matter what. It was the worse writer's block I have ever had. In any case, here is the awaited thirteenth chapter.

X

_Chapter Thirteen, Words are failing_

Jounouchi yawned as he stumbled out of bed. It had been days since he last spoke to Anzu and Honda had been pressuring him to at least call her up and see how her practice for the auditions was going. It wasn't as if he didn't want to talk to her, but he had said some hurtful things. He knew that Anzu wasn't the normal type of girl; he simply wasn't sure what type of response he would receive from her when he called her.

With a sigh, Jou pushed his hands through his messy hair and drifted to the kitchen, where the cordless phone lied. He picked it up and dialed Anzu's number, glancing around with a puzzled gaze. _Shizuka's left already? _He thought, surprised. _Hmm...At least she is getting out of the house more often than before. _His heart jumped to his throat when Anzu answered in her soft voice. Clearing the lump from his throat, he sputtered out, "Anzu? Hi, um, it's...um...it's Jounouchi." _Great job, Jounouchi, _he told himself, smacking the palm of his hand to his forehead. _You made yourself sound more like an idiot than usual. _

"Hey, Jounouchi. I was wondering if you were going to call me anytime soon." He blinked, surprised by how light her tone was. It was as if she was completely unbothered by what had happened between them. He was struck silent for a moment, musing over this unknown wonder that she had introduced to him. "Jou? Are you there?"

"Yeah," he quickly replied, snapping out of his thoughts to return to them later. "Sorry, I just spaced out there for a minute, heh...Listen, Anzu, about what I said, I didn't mean any of it. I don't like that you were doin' that behind my back, but...I guess I was just bein' stupid."

"To be honest, I didn't think you were going to react how you had," Anzu admitted. "I knew that you didn't like Otogi because of Mai, but he really wanted to see her, Jounouchi; Shizuka wanted to see him, too. When I mentioned him, she seemed to cave in on herself. I had to bring them together." She laughed softly, murmuring, "They're in love."

"...I guess."

Hearing the reluctance in his voice, she sighed and told him, "Otogi will treat her well and if you're worried about Shizuka hurting him...Well, I can't imagine her hurting anyone. Not on purpose, anyway. Especially someone she loves." Jou turned his eyes down to his bare feet, deliberating over her words. "But listen – why don't I come by after work and we can talk? I have to get to the opera house to meet Yami. One of his friends is supposed to be analyzing us to help us in the auditions."

"Okay," he agreed faintly. "I'll see you then, Anzu. Good luck."

"Thanks! Bye."

Punching the 'Talk' button to hang up, Jou pulled a chair out at the kitchen table and sat, fiddling with the edge of the newspaper Shizuka had set out for him. Anzu's words had triggered memories of his marriage that he had tried so desperately to bury. He knew that she hadn't been trying to dredge up anything bad in his mind, but had wanted to put him at ease about his sister's relationship. Nonetheless...

_Flashback_

_Jounouchi buried his fingers in his dirty blonde hair, his palms biting against his eyelids. He could hear soft sobs coming across the table, but refused to look up. His own tears were being tightly held inside him. He couldn't look up at his beautiful wife without wanting to cry himself, without wanting to tear her apart. He had never harmed Mai before, but right then he wanted to. _

_If he didn't know her better, Jou would have thought the tears were genuine. But how could he believe that when she had purposely sought out a man that night to be with? Instead of him, she went to another man for her pleasure. His nails dug into his scalp and he could feel skin coming apart beneath his fingers. The reminder of why he was up at two in the morning, sitting at the table enraged him._

_Slowly, he backed away from the ledge that promised oblivion. Breathing in deeply, he dislodged his fingers from his hair and rubbed his face to give some feeling to the numb skin. When he lowered his hands, his weary eyes met the watery, violet orbs of his wife's. Jou's mouth twisted bitterly and he let out a loud sigh, leaning back in his chair, resting a hand on the table and staring at it almost uncomprehendingly. He raised it and smacked it slightly on the table. He could find no words to express what he was feeling right then._

"_Jounouchi, please say something," she whispered. "Please...Speak to me." _

"_What do you want me to say, Mai?" He mumbled, bringing his eyes to hers once again. "I...have nothing to say about this. There's nothing _to_ say. You should know well enough how I feel right now. I don't understand why you did this, Mai. It doesn't make sense to me. Maybe you were pissed at me – that's nothing new – but you could have at least given me some warning. This came out of _no_where."_

"_We're always fighting," Mai told him in a slightly sharp tone. He gave a tight smile, convinced then that the tears had been false just as he suspected. "Did you think I was fighting with you for _fun_? I'm unhappy, Jou. This wasn't the type of life I imagined for us when he got married." He snorted and looked away, shaking his head slightly. "I thought we would be constantly happy and love each other forever! This? What we have had for the past months? It is _not_ what I saw for us when I was standing at the altar. Are you even _listening_ to me?" _

"_I don't have much of a choice but to listen, do I?" Jou snapped back. He turned his head to look at her, his eyes narrowed irritably. "Sounds to me like you don't know what the fuck happened. I'll tell you what happened: you freaked out, Mai. Simple as that. You freaked out because you actually had to have responsibility with Rena." He stood up, savagely shoving the chair towards the table. "Everyone thinks I'm stupid, but I'm not. I knew what to expect when we got married, and I knew what to expect when you got pregnant." His mouth tightened and he averted his gaze to his hands that were clenched over the top of the chair._

"_Jou – "_

"_I want us to try and fix this, Mai. I love you, and that's not going to change. I'll forgive you this time. But if you do it again..." He trailed off and turned his back to her startled expression. _I'm desperate_, he thought, licking his lips. _I couldn't survive without her and Rena doesn't need this. I have to keep her with me, no matter what. I don't want to have this conversation with her again, because it won't end the same way...

_End Flashback_

Jounouchi sighed through his nose and rose to his feet unsteadily. He paused next to the table, staring vacantly across the kitchen with a gloomy expression. He knew that there were certain aspects to love that one had to admire, but it was different when he observed such things in other people. When it was personal, the observation turned to obsession.

X

Anzu quickly hurried across the sidewalk towards the opera house, pushing her jacket sleeve up to flick a look towards her watch. She wasn't quite late, but she was getting dangerously close to it. What with coming in late and her anxiety over Yami's news, she had barely gotten enough sleep. Sluggishly, she had gone through the apartment doing her usual morning deeds and had to hurry through the door in order to get to her practice on time.

Moving through the halls to the doors that led into to the auditorium, she paused to listen to the familiar, gliding music of Pyott Ilíyich Tchaikovsky's masterpiece. Smiling lightly, she pushed through the doors and closed them quietly behind her. She saw a young male close to her age leaning against the piano with his arms crossed and his head tipped back. She continued through the rows of chairs that she had traveled between so many times before and set her things on a chair in front; she went around to step onto the stage and only then did the male acknowledge her. Yami was oblivious, continuing on with the music of _Swan Lake_.

"Hello, you must be Anzu Mazaki," he greeted, pushing away from the piano gracefully. She knew by that simple gesture that he was the instructor that Yami had spoke to her about. His footsteps towards her were unconsciously calculated, light, and nimble. He paused in front of her, his mouth curling upward in a gentle, impish sort of grin as he held his out to her. She clasped it, briefly dumbfounded by his attractive looks. Anzu might have considered them feminine if she didn't know any better. His hair was long and an odd colour of white, his eyes wide and russet brown. His skin, too, was pale, just as his hair. "I am Ryou Bakura. Yami has told me much about you."

"O-oh," she sputtered nervously, lowering her hand as he released it. "He has?" A hint of humor entered Ryou's eyes, but he did not tease her about her manner, instead pivoting and thumping the piano. Yami opened an eye, the notes halting in mid-air, giving a sense of anxiety, causing a wish of yearning in the abandoned music.

"Warm up," Ryou ordered Anzu in a soft, but firm voice that resembled her own dance instructor's. "Once you are satisfied, we will begin the instruction." He smiled at her. "I cannot wait to see what you have achieved. Yami says that he is confident of your abilities, but wanted a second opinion. He is a perfectionist in that way, I suppose." He cast a teasing look towards the pianist, who raised his eyes towards the heavens in return.

Anzu removed her shoes and jacket, tossing them to the side to lace her ballet shoes. She could have danced with bare feet, but the ballet shoes provided more traction and would make it so that her steps were more controlled.

"I will study Yami's music by each measure and the flow of notes that Tchaikovsky constructed. I have done most of this before you arrived," Ryou elaborated as she stretched. "Now I can see how well your dancing corresponds with his music. As he has told you, you have not danced to his actual playing, only a recording. It will be interesting to see how you work this out. After all, you cannot simply pluck an accompanist from a sea of pianists and hope that your dancing is attracted to his music. The manner in which the pianist presents the pieces he plays must blend well with the dancer's own certain style. Most people fail to see this, but as both a dance instructor and pianist, it is something that I took note of." He paused, smiling as Anzu rose to her feet. "Am I boring you?"

"No, it is really very interesting," she replied, a bit surprised at the question. "I never actually considered that our music and dancing had different styles."

"Before we begin, Anzu, can I ask if you practiced the steps to _Swan Lake _at home, as well?"

"I have," Anzu assured. He nodded and then stepped back so that he was a few feet from behind Yami.

"Ready, Anzu?" Yami queried, raising his eyes to hers briefly. She settled herself on the stage appropriately and then gave a slight nod.

All images faded from her mind and the stress of dancing in front of Ryou evaporated as she relaxed her muscles. Her introduction flooded her mind and seeped into her flesh, bringing it alive with the familiar sensation. Her body tingled, anxious to move. Soon, she heard her cue: a subtle note that had to be pulled out of the round of notes that were played. She was aware of Ryou Bakura's eyes on her, but hardly cared. She let her body move in response to the piano notes and realized that, until then, she had been dancing with a phantom touch. Now, it was as if she were dancing with Yami instead of the recording that she had been forced to deal with time and time again. Her heart soared at the thought of dancing so intimately with him, but she forced her dancing to remain as controlled as it had been.

Perhaps her emotions showed on her face throughout the dancing because when the end of the music came, there was an almost shuttered look on Ryou's face. When her eyes touched his, the look disappeared and he pasted a smile on his lips and walked towards her, spreading his hands out. "It was very lovely...I am a bit surprised because this is the first time Yami has ever acted as an accompanist. Your styles seem to compliment each other very well..." He appeared thoughtful for a moment and shook himself. "There are a few things we will have to fix with your dancing, though, Anzu. Now, perhaps it is because you have to work entirely on the assumption that the prince is there, so let me try and help you as I can." He called to Yami, giving him the note number and measure. "I have danced in this ballet before, so I promise I won't mess you up. The feel of an actual person might disorient you for a moment, but you should get over it soon enough."

"You're so kind..." She murmured, smiling up at him in gratitude. "I will have to make it up to you sometime, Ryou."

"When you get the part of Odette, that will be enough for me. I would very much like to see you dance in _Swan Lake_." He turned his head to Yami. "Alright, play it!"

X

Seiji Mazaki heard the doorbell ring, but he barely recognized the sound. He was submerged in his past, staring down at the scrap book that he had in his lap. Two others lay on his table, but he had already gone through them. He ran his fingers over a picture of him and his ex-wife holding Anzu as a toddler, all three smiling up at the camera. _Those had been better days, _he reflected sadly. The doorbell rang again, jangling his thoughts. He carefully placed the scrap book on the coffee table in front of him and hurried to the door, uncertain of how long the doorbell had been ringing.

When he swung the door open, he stared into a familiar face that he hadn't seen for years. Sakura's mouth twitched upward in the slightest of smiles. "Sakura," he breathed. He flinched as if she had slapped him and straightened, turning his gaze to a point just past her. Anzu had asked him if he could handle her and at the time, he had been certain he could. Staring at pictures of them together had been painful, however, and had reopened wounds that had not yet been sealed.

"May I come in, Seiji? I need to speak to you." His eyes moved back to her and he gave a look of disbelief. "Please...I am not asking much." After a beat in which Sakura was certain he intended to slam the door in her face, he stepped away and allowed her through. She shuffled into the apartment, taking in the surroundings. It was purely male, with only a few feminine touches here and there. She suspected that it was her daughter who had added such tiny female reminders, but was unclear of whether Seiji had remarried or not. "I saw Anzu at the opera house."

"So I was told," he grunted, control of his emotions once again. He went to the couch and settled on it. Sakura followed him, but stood over the coffee table, staring at the scrap book with a twisted expression. Before he could completely grasp what it was that she was gawking at, she leaned down and took the scrap book in her hands, looking at the picture he had been only a few moments ago.

"It wasn't a life I wanted to abandon, Seiji," Sakura quietly confessed, her eyes fixed on the photograph. "I foolishly fell in love and panicked, I suppose. I didn't...I didn't want to hurt anyone, but no matter which path I took, that was the eventual result. Can you understand that?" She paused to see if he would answer and then smiled, returning the scrap book to its place on the coffee table. "You didn't cut out my pictures."

"The person in those is someone else...Not the person I am faced with now, Sakura." She turned her pained gaze to him, but knew that he was correct. "What did you come to talk with me about?"

"After I took Anzu to that ballet, she decided she wanted to be a dancer. Do you remember her saying that? I never thought she would go through with it. She was only six years old, how could I have imagined that she would strive to follow such a young dream? Seiji...Anzu refuses to see or even speak with me. Instead, I dealt with her accompanist."

"Yami Mutou?" He spoke up in surprise. "You talked with Yami?"

"Yes. He was so protective of her...It was rather touching, really. I got angry with him and said some cruel things, but he still did not back down. Now that I look back on it, I regret acting that way. He sent Anzu away so that she didn't have to talk with me, so that she wouldn't get too upset. I admire that in a man. I never thought to ask him and since I planned on coming to you to tell you that I was in town, I figured I would ask you instead. Is...Anzu and her accompanist...?" She trailed off, a tentative expression taking hold of her features.

"No," he bit out. "As far as I'm aware, they have a plutonic relationship."

"Oh...Oh, I see."

"Even if she did decide that she wanted to be with Yami, I wouldn't try and get in the way. Her circumstances are far different than your own, Sakura, and Yami seems to be a man worthy of her attention."

"I swear to you, Seiji, that I never meant to hurt my family like this," she whispered, bringing a hand up to her face to hold her cheek. "I wish I could have been there for Anzu. God...I am so proud of how far she's gone and how determined she has been. I just...I want to have a relationship with her. She deserves a mother...better than me and..." She pressed her hand to her mouth as tears welled up and spilled down to her cheeks. "I do love her. I...I th-thought about her...every day."

Seiji sat and watched her cry, a stoic expression on his face. After a while of watching her sob in her hands, he simply turned and stared down at the scrap book without any feeling. She was crying, but he couldn't dredge up even the smallest bit of sympathy.

X

DIS: Sorry for the short chapter. I was going to add some Honda/Miho, but I felt that this was the best place to stop. Like I said last chapter, there will be some hot romance around the auditions. Please leave a review, telling me how you like it. Ciao!


	14. A potential disaster

DIS: I have a playlist on iTunes that is meant ideally for inspiration. The majority is all soft instrumental or piano music except for one song that has words in it. If you guys are interested, I can send you a list and maybe some of the songs. Just tell me in a review or PM me. Thanks to **Sakura Takanouchi, We're In Like Sin, oOMasamuneOo, fantasia49, kurakuracha, Arana Is, ANZU&ATEM FAN, un-chan, CraziAznGirl,**and** Laberai Tashio** for reviewing. You guys absolutely rock my socks off for reviewing on my first ever chaptered revolutionshipping fic! (cries) Anyway, here is the chapter, short though it may be.

X

_Chapter Fourteen, A potential disaster_

Honda gazed at the café a few steps ahead of him where he had parked his motorcycle. He had told Miho he would see her, but now he doubted the intelligence of his offer. Even though he was known to throw gallant gestures left and right to women, he rarely ever thought them through. As Honda turned his helmet in his hands, he felt as though he had sunk into a deep pit of anxiety. Shizuka had never made him feel as nervous as he was feeling now, which only made the feeling more acute.

_She can have my coat for all I care, _he thought, taking in a deep breath and getting off his motorcycle and throwing the kickstand up. _I just don't want to walk in there and ask her out like I planned. What if I ask and she says 'no'? I can't handle rejection from her... _He heaved in a quick, unsteady breath and forced his feet to draw him closer to the café. As he came to the door, his hand hovered over it uncertainly. _It seemed like she was interested, _he told himself reassuringly. _She must at least like me a little bit. Yeah...Yeah, that's it. _He entered the café, his confidence faltering a bit when he saw Anzu at the cash register. Miho was beside her, the two of them talking with bright expressions on their faces.

Honda cleared his throat quietly and approached the counter. Both girls looked up, Anzu with a curious expression. If she had ever seen Honda at the café, Jounouchi was with him. An idea forming in her mind, Anzu's eyes slid to Miho's face and she knew instantly by the light blush that it was because of her that Honda had come to the café. She smiled and waved at him. "Hey, Honda," she greeted and inched her way towards the back to the flavoring bottles. _Take the chance, Honda, _she urged in her mind, glancing over her shoulder at him. _Miho _likes_ you. You have to see that, don't you?_

"Hello, Honda," Miho quietly greeted him, smiling shyly. "Your, um, coat is at my house, so I can't give you it right now." Her smile turned apologetic and she tucked a few strands of hair that had escaped her tail behind her ear. When she lowered her hands to the counter, Miho hoped that he couldn't see the slight tremble in her fingers. She had been waiting for him to come see her at the café. Anzu's quiet withdrawal from the counter made it clear that her interest in Honda was obvious. _I wonder if he knows, too?_

"O-oh..." Honda blinked quickly. "That's okay. I didn't really come by for my coat. Not really, anyway." She watched him as he fiddled with the helmet he held in his hands. He stared down at it, his mouth twisting with some unknown emotion. "Um...Listen, Miho, would you...like to go out to dinner some time? Or lunch?"

When she didn't answer immediately, he raised his eyes to hers, a hopeful, almost puppy-like expression on his face. Smothering the bubbling of joy rising in her chest, she giggled and covered her jubilant smile by touching her fingers to her lips. "Yes, of course, Honda," she answered, lowering her hand to beam at him. His expression melted with relief. Both of them let out a squeak of surprise as Anzu came over, nearly toppling Miho over the counter by grabbing her shoulders.

"I could come early tomorrow, Miho, so you guys can have lunch," she cheerfully suggested, winking broadly at them both. Miho turned red, looking to Honda in question.

"Anzu..." He began in a strangled voice, before clearing his throat and continuing, "Thanks. That would be great." Honda turned his eyes back to Miho, telling her with a grin, "So...Can I pick you up here at noon?" She nodded wordlessly. With that concluded, he scampered backwards, waving at them both and then bolting out of the café. The two girls watched him run past the café, glancing at each other.

"Thank you," Miho said, sighing heavily, a smile curling her lips upward. "I wanted him to come by so badly. I know that I shouldn't have hoped that he would ask me out, but..."

"No, it's okay," Anzu assured her, releasing her shoulders. She smiled. "I think that Honda was _hoping_ you wanted him to." She chuckled and settled in the stool across from the cash register while Miho stood beside her, resting her hip against the counter. Even though she had known Anzu for only so long, she felt that she could understand her friend. It was hard, too, as Anzu kept a cheerful façade so that no one would become worried about her. There was a thoughtful, almost wistful look about her now.

"Anzu, I know you said that – well, that you and your accompanist aren't involved or anything, but..." She leaned forward, her eyebrows rising ever so slightly. "...Would you _like_ to become involved with him?" Anzu gave her a startled look, her mouth flying open to protest against such an idea. Miho's eyes narrowed as something crossed her face and her determined expression slid away. "I haven't really talked to him myself," she continued, allowing Anzu to collect herself, "but you seem to like him, and that you are close to him. That grand gesture he held towards you...It seemed a little more than friendly if you ask me."

"Maybe," was Anzu's faint response. "It's just...well, like you said, he's my accompanist. How could I possibly become involved with him if all the world is trying to see us as working partners? Not only that my father doesn't _like_ pianists. He hates them. He even met Yami and hated him."

"But why?" Miho asked, shocked.

"My mother ran away with a pianist." Anzu gave a slight smile, meeting Miho's sympathetic gaze. "It's alright, though, Miho. Even after I found out about that, I never judged Yami. I haven't known him for very long, but I trust him. I think there's something about his own parents that he's trying to forget. And besides, he's been really nice to me and helping me out with this. I don't think I could have gotten my career off to such a smooth start if not for him."

The conversation ended there, as a customer approached the counter. Miho watched, envious, as Anzu's face transformed into a bright, welcoming mask. She could never be as happy as Anzu after such a saddening conversation. As she reflected on it, it seemed that there was always some secret revolving around one's parents. Her own family was dysfunctional and thrived on arguing. That Anzu's mother had run away with a pianist and Anzu had to rely on one to practice for rehearsals and auditions was ironic. It was no wonder her father felt so bitter.

Even after the customer had left, they did not continue the conversation. Instead, Anzu cheerfully spoke to her about her day out with Jounouchi Katsuya's ex-wife, Mai. Frankly, Miho was surprised that Anzu and the older woman was getting along so well. When she voiced this, Anzu had shrugged and explained, "She told me that she always gets jealous when Jounouchi associates with any girl, even if they're not married. I kind of feel bad for her, Miho. She doesn't have any girl friends except for Shizuka, and let's face it – Jounouchi's sister is _way_ too naïve for a girl like Mai."

"Does she still love Jounouchi?" Anzu nodded. "It is always hard when a person has to give up their spouse while they still love them."

"Jounouchi didn't have any choice _but_ to divorce her." Anzu ignored the questioning look Miho sent her, subtly indicating that it was not her place to discuss her friends' marital affairs. Miho accepted that gracefully, pulling another stool beside Anzu's and leaning over on the counter, her elbows propped on the top with her hands bracing her head.

It was a surprisingly slow day.

X

Ryou, sitting cross legged in the middle of the stage, flicked a look to the doors. Yami did not pause in his playing, for which Ryou was grateful. He had been planning on continuing to practice with Anzu for the next few days, and was a bit stressed over it. He chose not to tell his friend, as Yami would likely become surly, but he had recently found out through his connections that a certain acquaintance of his and Yami's would be judging the auditions. Their acquaintance was also a dancer, exceedingly better than Ryou because of where he originated from and his tall, lithe form. No doubt he would arrive at an inopportune moment, as he generally did.

Thankfully, the male that entered the auditorium was not their acquaintance; he seemed to know Yami, though, or else he would not continue to stroll towards the stage. Ryou vaguely mused, _He would be a good dancer with such a figure, _as he sometimes did when meeting new people. Once the male was walking across the stage, Yami paused in his playing and peered round to look at his visitor.

"Otogi," he mildly greeted, smiling pleasantly. Ryou rose to his feet, also smiling at Otogi with a warm, kind smile. "This is my friend, Ryou Bakura. He's helping Anzu practice since he teaches dancing. Ryou, this is Otogi Ryuuji." Ryou glided forward, his hand extended politely. Otogi Ryuuji appeared startled by this before taking his hand in a firm grip and then released his hand.

"Nice to meet you," Otogi said. "It's good to see that someone will be helping Anzu practice for the auditions. They're looming closer, I hear."

"Yes," he replied, instantly liking Otogi's social personality, "quite close. I am confident that she will be able to get the main parts of Odette and Odile. Actually, she is one of the better dancers I have helped. I'm a little envious of whoever taught her. They did a good job at it." Otogi smiled fondly, as though remembering a particularly memorable time in his life.

"She is a very good dancer," was all he offered, his smile in place. "Anyway...Yami! I have some rather doleful news for you. I will try my hardest to wipe that impish smile of yours right off your face." Yami gave him a dry look in return. "As you know, I have been dealing with some of your finances since I'm the one who has a mind for math and – honestly – you suck at it. You asked me to, and I did. The small things, that is. I don't keep track of your other apartments or villas or whatever the hell you have. I got a pissy e-mail today from the man that originally takes care of your finances." Yami let loose a long-suffering groan at this information. "Ah, ha. See? I told you it was depressing news. In any case, he was incredibly sarcastic and added some rude insults. Naturally, I e-mailed him with a similar e-mail. This all happened this morning, mind you. All he said in return was, 'You better stay out of my path, because I'll be in Domino by this afternoon.'"

"Kaiba is coming to Domino?" Ryou questioned, surprised.

"Oh, you know him, too?"

"Well, yes...I have had occasion to talk with him. If I remember correctly, he's only dealing with your finances because his father did, is that right, Yami?" He turned to look at the pianist, who nodded, appearing glum and annoyed.

"He owns a large marketing industry of all sorts of things," Yami informed Otogi. "His father was not right in the head and used to produce weapons of war for his own enjoyment. Once Kaiba took over the company, he completely reversed the products. When his younger brother died while their father was still alive, he came up with the idea of making children's toys. That's where he's most popular, I suppose, but he comes up with all kinds of things, mostly technological. I never really paid attention. When he met me a few days after the late Kaiba's death, he hated me on sight. That was just fine with me, because I don't care for him myself."

"Interesting...You have to text me when he comes by. I want to witness you being an asshole to someone. It's very rare. I might even film it so that I can laugh at it later." Yami scowled moodily.

"You film it and you won't be given a chance to see anything. I'll tackle you to get the camcorder out of your hands."

"I'll just hire people to film it then."

Yami shrugged. "Then you won't have to worry about me. Kaiba will be suing them _and _you in an instant. He probably thinks someone will take his head and put it on a turkey so that he is making turkey sounds and post it on the internet." There was a pause as everyone considered this. Yami and Ryou grinned, amused, while Otogi, the more practical of the three, wondered how one would go about doing that. "Anyway," Yami spoke up again, checking his watch, "it's well into the afternoon now. Anzu is supposed to be arriving soon. I should call her and tell her to cancel if I have to endure Kaiba today. I'd rather not take out my bad mood on her."

While Yami dialed Anzu's number, Ryou thought it rather depressing that he would have to deal with Kaiba's derisive remarks and _then_ his dancing acquaintance's arrogant assumptions. He certainly had come to Domino at a bad time. But, of course, that was natural.

Meanwhile, Anzu was jogging down the street towards the opera house. She was, in fact, almost ten minutes late. It wasn't as if she had been late before. However, her phone was dead because she neglected to charge it last night, so if Yami called and she was unable to be contacted, he might assume something was wrong or simply go home. She was supposed to practice with Ryou again that day, though, and didn't want to lose any time that she might improve on her dancing. She _needed_ to get this part in _Swan Lake_.

As she approached the opera house, panting a bit, she noticed that a man was exiting a sleek, black limo. She might have paused to stare, except she was late and the man looked like one of those cold-eyed, pompous businessmen. She reminded herself to turn her nose up at him if he happened to cross her. Wouldn't that make him feel nice, having a mere middle-class female without a steady career sneering at him? Anzu stifled a laugh as she hurried to the doors, right behind him.

The aggravating man was taking his time.

Once she was through the doors, she raced ahead of him to the auditorium doors, throwing them open dramatically. Yami, Ryou, and Otogi were standing on the stage in a triangle-like shape. She hastened to the stage and gasped out, "Sorry! I'm...late!"

"Oh, Anzu..." Yami said, blinking. "I was trying to call you, but it went straight to your voice mail. This is a little awkward. I'm actually expecting to see someone and was going to cancel our practice today. I intend to leave here as soon as possible. You and Ryou can certainly practice on your dancing."

A bit disappointed, and irritated that she had run for nothing, she released a long breath, pushing her bangs from her forehead as she absorbed what he had said. They were supposed to be practicing to Yami's actual playing instead of a recording so that she became more accustomed to his piano playing. It would help her dancing, she supposed, but it bothered her that he wasn't going to be there at all in the auditorium. "It's up to Ryou if he wants to do it by recording," she decided with a small shrug. "You might have called me earlier, Yami, if you had to meet someone."

Ryou and Otogi's eyes drifted to Yami's stung expression, interested in his response. "Well...Yes," he slowly conceded, "but I wasn't aware that they were to see me until Otogi came and told me."

At this, Anzu's irritation grew. "So you're going to drop our daily meeting for some other person that sprung this on you today?"

By Yami's perplexed appearance, it was clear that he was at a loss of how to deal with this accusation. He looked to his two friends desperately, hoping that they would intervene. However, Ryou knew better than to become involved when a woman was angry and Otogi was finding this entertaining; this predicament was much like one that a married couple might find themselves in. He wondered if Yami wanted to settle down and get married now that he was getting a taste of what the less enjoyable parts of it might be.

To Otogi's disappointment, Yami's discomfort did not last long as the auditorium doors opened and closed, announcing another visitor. A bit exasperatedly, the three males turned to see who it was _now_, and Anzu followed their movement. Yami and Ryou were dismayed to see that it was Kaiba striding forward, his face set in standard disinterest; Anzu and Otogi simply did not like the sight of him, so wealthy and sure of himself.

"I can see I arrived before you were given a chance to leave, Yami," Kaiba remarked coolly. "You have a bad habit of slithering away when I am trying to meet with you."

Everyone's eyes turned to Yami, who appeared less than enthused to see Seto Kaiba.

X

DIS: _Ayah!_ My shortest chapter yet. I was going to make it longer, but then thought, "No. Let them suffer and wonder what will happen now that Kaiba is in the picture." Anyway, I am just glad I finally finished this chapter. I was stuck on it for awhile, but then I made myself sit down and think of how I wanted the story to end. As long as I have an ending for a story, I can continue. By the way, does anyone know who the dancing acquaintance of Yami and Ryou's is? I'm not sure when he will appear – perhaps soon. I gave some hints when I described him. Please leave a review on your way out; I would like to know how I'm doing so far. Ciao!


	15. Friends and enemies alike

DIS: Gods, inspiration is so hard in coming to me for _any _kind of fanfiction these days. It's hard enough with me trying to find some time to myself to read. I hate that I'm always exhausted when I get home and all I want to do is sleep. Anyway, I sat down after a really good Sunday and wrote this. Hope y'all enjoy it. And THANK YOU to everyone who reviewed!!! You guys truly do rock!

X

_Chapter Fifteen, Friends and enemies alike_

"I can see I arrived before you were given a chance to leave, Yami," Kaiba remarked coolly to the pianist. "You have a bad habit of slithering away when I am trying to meet with you." That, Kaiba reflected, was absolutely true. He surveyed each of the people standing on the stage and frowned, noticing the girl who had stalked past him when he was on his way to the auditorium. He had taken an instant dislike to her as she had seemed to be mocking him with a stuck-up look on her face. He recognized Ryou, a close friend of Yami's, but the third male was nobody he knew.

Everyone's eyes had shifted to Yami, no doubt picking up on the tension. Generally, Yami Mutou was a calm, brooding sort of male, as many artists seemed to be. There was very little that could affect him. Kaiba had to admit that he was of the same personality, but the two of them could get on each other's nerves without any help by outside sources. The only other thing that seemed to bother the infamous pianist – that Kaiba knew of – was his parents, a subject he had a broached once and had regretted it. _The man had drowned himself so badly in alcohol that he almost ended up in a coma, _Kaiba briefly thought to himself, recalling the aftereffects of that particular comment he had thrown out.

"You can imagine why," Yami quietly said, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit, a subtle warning that he did not want to start conflict here. Kaiba, as sharp as ever, saw Yami's eyes flicker to the young female standing between him and Ryou. Her eyebrows were knitted together in slight irritation and confusion. It was clear that she did not think much of Kaiba, which was something he had become accustomed to in his life. It wasn't as if he went around trying to make friends. "I suppose you are here to discuss my finances?"

"It was my understanding," he replied in an icy voice, "that you had given the responsibility of taking care of them to me." His narrow, azure eyes turned darker than they naturally were. "That was the contract you had signed with my father and carried over to me, wasn't it? So then why did I find out that you had some crackpot idiot taking care of some of your finances when you came to Domino?"

"That crackpot idiot," the unfamiliar male chimed, "happens to be right here." Kaiba cut a look to him, his mouth turning down unpleasantly. "You must be Seto Kaiba. Otogi Ryuuji." He gave a cocky salute with two of his fingers, smirking. If the e-mails from earlier hadn't made Kaiba hate him, there was no doubt in his mind that he hated the guy now because of his attitude.

"I don't have time for this," he said, turning back to Yami. "Either you come with me to discuss this or we do it now with those three listening."

Just as Yami opened his mouth to say something, the girl rode over him, placing her hands on her hips as she stated flatly, "Sir, you're just going to have to wait awhile." One of Kaiba's smooth, chocolate coloured eyebrows rose mildly. Ryou nervously looked at her while the other two gawked in surprise. "I am sorry, but I have had an ongoing appointment with Yami. I have important auditions coming up and need to practice. In order to do that, I need Yami as my accompanist."

"Is that right?"

Anzu glared back at him as he set his cold stare on her. Honestly, she was sick of men right now. Maybe it was because she was about to start her period and she was having PMS, but she had a feeling it had more to do with how every male she encountered seemed to think he could just walk all over her. (Sadly, this included Jounouchi, even though he had apologized for being an ass.) And, also, Seto Kaiba was just as she had thought when she saw him: an egotistical business man who seemed to be under the false impression that what he said was what was going to happen. He could stare all he wanted; it was just a stare, after all.

"Yes, _Mr. Kaiba_, that is right. As a business man, you should appreciate that appointments are kept." She tried to raise her eyebrow as cockily as he had, but both went up so that the effect was somewhat off. She could tell by his moody expression that he was displeased with her logic and likely even more displeased that some girl was arguing with him. Nonetheless, she hadn't rushed here just to be turned away or be forced to practice to a recording.

At last, he said, "Fine. Take your time for the so-called prearranged appointment if it means so much to you, girl." He snapped a look to Yami, saying, "Don't try leaving Domino, Yami. It would be...regrettable." At that, he swept away, his black, fancy trench coat flapping around his ankles in an elegant, flashy manner that even Anzu and Otogi had to admire. Once the doors shut behind him, they all seemed to release a breath at once.

"What an asshole," Otogi grumbled and then mimicked, "_Don't try leaving Domino! It would be – _" here Otogi paused to dramatically throw an arm over his face like holding a cape to cover his mouth and nose " – _regrettable! _Dun, dun, dun!" Ryou stared at him, stunned, while Anzu covered her mouth with her hands, stifling her laughter. Otogi had made his voice deep and gravelly, making it sound like a saw cutting through wood. It had sounded ridiculous just like that, but when he said 'regrettable,' he lowered his voice even more breathily, drawing it out menacingly. It was a good thing Seto Kaiba hadn't been there to hear it. He might have actually gotten physically violent.

Yami chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement, but there was a hint of something in his eyes that made Anzu approach him and touch his shoulder tentatively. "You're not angry, are you?" She queried anxiously. "I mean, for taking that in my own hands? He just really...irritated me with how he was acting. He treated you more like a dog than an actual human being, not to mention the way he was staring at us. He just assumed you would come if he whistled and it..." She released a breath, huffing. "It pissed me off."

"No," he assured, taking her hand and holding it in both of his as he smiled at her. It was a smile she had grown familiar with, one that she enjoyed seeing in spite of her continuous assurances to herself that she did not like him romantically. Every time he smiled at her, though, with that slow, soft smile, her whole body warmed. It was like liquid chocolate, warm and delightful. Even his hands clasping hers caused her heart rate to quicken. Miho had been right about her own secret desire to be with Yami. There was just something...soothing...about him. "It's fine, Anzu. I'm glad you did. I would much rather be here than go somewhere with him. He and I are _not_ friends in the least."

"He only does that work because of his father's contract with Yami," Ryou helpfully added. Yami removed her hand, not even glancing at his friend as he continued to smile. She could feel heat travel up her neck and cleared her throat nervously, looking to Otogi and forcing a cheerful expression on her face.

"Well, at least we don't have to deal with him!" She remarked.

"Lucky, lucky," Otogi agreed. He clapped his hands. "But listen, Yami, I did kind of screw things up with those e-mails, so how about I stay here and watch Anzu practice and then we can go find Kaiba afterward?"

"I wasn't trying to get you involved – " Yami began apologetically, but Otogi would hear none of that.

"Don't worry about it, Yami. Besides, I want to see you kick his ass." Anzu laughed at that, unable to imagine Yami, who was fairly short, knocking Kaiba off his feet. It somehow did not seem possible. She had faith in him, though she wasn't sure it went that far. Ryou, the softest of them and the most focused, gave a sigh and rolled his eyes, shoving Otogi towards the stairs as he protested. "I'm not into the rough stuff, Ryou! If you wanted to touch me, all you had to do is ask!"

"Don't be conceited," Ryou told him, blushing at the implications. "If I were gay, I would go after Yami or Kaiba before you."

"Ouch!" Otogi winced. "Throwing Kaiba in there was a bit too much."

Ryou shrugged his shoulders gracefully and then turned to Anzu and Yami, spreading his arms wide as he suggested, "Shall we begin?" Anzu bobbed her head and as Yami moved to the piano with Ryou calling out the scene and which measure to start at, with Anzu getting into position, she could not help but take note that Otogi seemed much more jolly now that he and Shizuka were dating. By Yami's unsurprised nature, she had a feeling that she was being introduced to the real Otogi. He was just as cocky as ever, simply with a more jesting manner. She loved him for it, as a sister would her brother.

X

Mai stared broodingly out the kitchen window, her hand clasped around a mug of coffee even though it was past noon. Across from her Rena was colouring a picture of a giraffe, crayons strewn over the table, her tiny fingers able to grasp the crayons only so well that she could place the colours on the picture. Since their time at the mall, Mai hadn't spoken to Anzu, but she had been thinking of the girl.

Even though they had opened up to each other, tearing apart fragile stitches in order to reopen past wounds, Mai had still been a bit suspicious of whether Anzu might be closer than just a friend to Jou. After hearing her speak of Yami, however, she was convinced Jounouchi really was nothing more than a friend to her. As soon as Yami was mentioned, Anzu completely transformed, her whole face lighting up, her eyes sparkling like diamonds and her mouth curving into a smile without her even knowing it. The fact that they were supposed to be working partners no doubt lingered in Anzu's mind, causing her to deny any feelings she held for Yami.

_But who wouldn't like him? _Mai mused, a slightly different version to the question Anzu had asked her that day. _He is a naturally closed person, even to me and I can usually make a guy gush things. With Rena, he's completely different. He would make a good father. I can understand why he might want a family of his own. But could Anzu do it? Could she be a mother or would she make the same mistakes I did? _She sighed to herself, lifting her coffee mug and taking a drink from it. _No, not Anzu, _she decided. _She realized her mother made those mistakes and didn't want to do the same thing._

The doorbell rang, but she didn't immediately attend. After the second time and the lack of scribbling of crayon on paper, Mai unlatched her fingers from the mug and stood up to move to the foyer. As she walked, she heard the crayon start again. She pushed her wavy, blonde bangs from her forehead. Today was her day off, so she was dressed casually in sweatpants and a white tank top, her hair shoved up in a messy bun. She hadn't even put on any makeup. She was too emotionally stressed to care what people thought what she looked like. _It's not as if I'm trying to impress anyone, _she admitted silently to herself.

Swinging the door open, she blinked, surprised to see Jounouchi on the doorstep. He frowned for a moment and then offered the tiniest of smiles, the only kind she ever got from him these days. "Hey, Mai," he greeted, not in a cheerful way, but his own sloppy way of greeting. She loved any sloppy mannerisms of his, even if she denied it. "Can I come in?"

She shrugged and stepped aside. The one guy that she was dwelling over and he pops up on her doorstep like a sign from God, as though He was saying, _Apologize, try and get him back in your life, and be happy again. _That was impossible for her. Mai was bad at expressing her true emotions. It had never come easily to her.

"What's up?"

"Jounouchi, I know you didn't come just to chat, so why not just tell me why you're here?" She sighed, pushing the palm of her hand to her forehead. She was exhausted and had a headache. Mai knew he was just trying to be nice, as he usually tried when they saw each other, as he usually did after a fight to make things easier on them, but she couldn't handle pretending that things were okay between them when they really weren't.

"Whatever," he sighed, pushing his hands in the pockets of his baggy jeans. "Listen, I have a few days off, so I figured I could take Rena. That okay with you?"

"Why'd you come over? Why didn't you just call?" She knew she sounded accusing. _What's new? _was her dry thought.

"Figured I'd save you the trouble of driving her to the apartment." He gazed at her mildly, with no expression on his face or in his eyes. It was strange, this sudden whim he had taken to be a good guy and do her a favor. To him, it probably wasn't a favor, it was just to keep things less complicated. Maybe he didn't want her around his apartment anymore or something along those lines. And even though she knew he didn't give a damn about her or what she felt or thought, she _did_ care about him. She wanted to know what he was thinking right then as he looked at her in her careless attire. In the past, she would be able to see the delight in his face as he looked at her, unadorned of make up, her hair thrown together without hairspray, and looking more deserving of him than when she was glamoured up. And, because Jounouchi had always been an eager lover, she would see lust.

Now...Nothing.

She should be used to it. It was beginning to dawn on her that a person never became used to the hatred of someone that once loved you. Turning away, Mai closed her eyes briefly to shut out the pain and with a steady voice said, "She's in the kitchen. I'll go ahead and pack her some clothes."

"'Kay, that's cool," he flippantly responded and sauntered to the kitchen. She paused at the top of the steps, hearing the cry of joy from Rena and the exclamation from Jounouchi: "And look at who I've found!" She stumbled over to her daughter's room and shut the door, sliding down to the floor and wept silently in her hands. She felt hopelessly lost because Rena was so happy to see Jounouchi when she saw him, but when Mai picked her up from daycare, she only gave the mildest of smiles. Even though she was aware that it was because Rena only saw her father every once in awhile, it still hurt. Needles stabbed her heart where other needles had been stuck, ripping open new holes.

_Why do I feel so awful all the time? _She wondered. _Why does it seem like there's no one there? _She answered her own question: _Because there isn't. That person used to be Jounouchi. _This revelation only caused another wave of tears.

While she packed Rena some clothes and her favorite possessions, she wiped her eyes and afterward, she pressed a cold rag to her eyes for a few minutes before returning downstairs with the bag. She noticed Jounouchi's eyes linger on her face for a moment before he took the bag and said he would call the night before he would bring her home to give her a time. She nodded mutely and kissed Rena goodbye. She watched in the doorway as Jounouchi hustled their daughter to the car and buckled her in, tossing the bag in the backseat. As they pulled out, she hesitantly raised a hand in farewell.

Neither of them waved back.

Mai shut the door and collapsed on the steps, holding herself. Once again, her mind drifted to Anzu, the only girl she had explained her circumstances to. Shivering violently, she walked to the kitchen and picked up the phone, dialing Anzu's phone number. It went straight to voicemail. She paused briefly after it beeped and then said, "It's Mai. I...just thought I'd call and see what you were doing and..." She sighed. "Shit." She punched in three and the female computer voice said, "_Message deleted._"

She tossed her phone on the table and sat in her seat, staring out the window again, this time in utter melancholy.

X

Otogi, although he did not generally smoke, had taken a liking to cigars. As he and Yami walked along the sidewalk in the bustling city of Domino, he smoked a thick, Cuban cigar with the air of an aristocrat. Despite the fact that they were about to speak to an incredibly unpleasant, egotistical ass, Yami could not help but smirk at his companion. Cuban cigars were hand rolled with a sweeter blend than most cigars and therefore had a sweeter smell and taste and stank quite a bit. Yami was used to the smell because so many fellow pianists smoked them, but the rest of the public wrinkled their noses and kept about a five foot radius around the pair.

"Those who can't stand the smell are those who have no class," Otogi declared after finishing his cigar and they came to the expensive hotel Kaiba had informed Yami he was staying at through an e-mail, adding the floor and room number.

Yami raised his eyebrows. "My friend, you got that cigar for under thirty dollars. Any person in the middle-class could get one. They choose not to because they stink. You can disillusion yourself all you want, but Cuban cigars really are unpleasant to smell." Otogi frowned and waved a dismissive hand as the two of them entered the hotel. They approached the front desk and Yami said, "Tell Kaiba that Yami Mutou is coming up." The woman nodded, batting her eyes at the two men as she did. She gave a coy smile as they walked away, her eyes wandering to their backsides. Yami sighed exasperatedly.

"This probably isn't the time to bring this up," Otogi remarked, "but about you and Anzu - ?"

"What about us?" He questioned in an entirely too casual voice. When it came to women and relationships, Otogi was an expert at seeing things, especially seeing _through _things and that included any sort of mask that a person could put on. Yami was doing just that, pretending that everything was hunky-dory when it clearly wasn't. Yami had become a bit tense at the mentioning of the dancer, something that Otogi found _very _interesting, especially after seeing their interaction earlier that day.

"Come on, Yami, it's not a big deal if you like the girl."

"She's too young for me," he stated plainly as they stepped into the elevator. He reached out and punched a number. "Besides that, we're working partners." He looked at Otogi meaningfully as he said, "And she's far too innocent. If she's interested, that's fine, but I'm not going to pursue her." He paused, his mouth turning down unhappily. "I don't want to ruin her chances for a good career. I want a family, Otogi, and she wants to dance. Things can't work out."

"You don't know what's going on in her head, Yami," Otogi retorted, tapping his own head to make a point. "And you just screw things up looking that far ahead. If you only think to the next day or next week, you should be fine. Besides, you said it was interesting to be an accompanist for a dancer. Why stop if you don't need to? It's not like pianist partners haven't become involved with each other."

"And those that I knew always ended their careers because of relationship issues," Yami stated. The elevator gave a _ding_, stopping, and the doors slid open. The two of them stepped out into the hall. "I just want her to make the decision herself, Otogi, that way I won't regret."

"I don't think that girl's ever been in a relationship and you expect _her _to make the first move?"

"If she does," he continued, ignoring Otogi completely, "then I'll explain what could happen and make her think over it. It's just...easier on both of us." He gave a small smile. "And I'm not as rash as you are, practically crashing into the Katsuyas' home and causing chaos." Otogi scowled at this, sliding his hands in his pockets and walking with a fluid, swaying walk that was both unintentionally seductive and casual.

"Jounouchi was pissing me off and Shizuka hung up on me because of him. I knew she loved me, so why should I have let her punk ass brother get in my way when he only holds a grudge because of his and Mai's divorce?" Yami opened his mouth to say something, but Otogi removed a hand from his pocket and pointed at him warningly. "Don't go there, Yami. Things are still precarious, coming from everywhere around me. I've got Mai still upset, Jounouchi way upset because of both Mai and my dating Shizuka. Mind you, it doesn't help when I'm friends with Anzu. He probably thinks the whole world is after him." He shook his head. "No, that isn't something we need to discuss. The floor could literally crack underneath me and leave me in a ditch at any moment."

"Jounouchi has some personal issues with his ex-wife that he needs to work out," Yami told him softly as they came to a door and he knocked. Looking to Otogi, he added, "I just don't think either of them are ready for it." Otogi nodded grimly, agreeing to that. There was a thick, heavy poison in Jounouchi and Mai's relationship and it only seemed to make things between them uglier the longer it remained. Otogi was not about to get involved in that particular relationship because Jounouchi wouldn't like him prodding and Mai would never be ready to tell him why the divorce had come crashing around everyone instead of floating down like it should have.

The door jerked open and Kaiba allowed them inside, although he gave a predatory look to Otogi, as though his hand was about to come up with an ax so he could chop him up for dinner. Thankfully, Kaiba's hands were empty after he shut the door, even if the look remained on his face. It was a bit disconcerting to Otogi.

"About goddamn time," the CEO muttered. It was clear that he was used to better conditions than even the highest rated hotel in Domino could offer. "I don't see why _he_ had to come, but that's your choice. I don't really care either way. If you want to be humiliated, so be it."

"You're sadly mistaken if you think I'm going to allow myself be humiliated by you, Kaiba," Yami calmly answered.

_Already it gets interesting, _Otogi cheerfully thought to himself. He only hoped Yami didn't develop a temper and turn it on him.

"Whatever," Kaiba grunted dismissively, stepping past them to settle at the table near the window. Otogi watched with interest as the multi-billionaire pulling a cigarette out of its pack and lit it with a lighter. Afterward, he tossed the lighter on the table and took a drag from the cigarette, gazing at the two standing in the middle of the hallway that led to the door. Releasing a stream of smoke, he said, "I'm not interested in exchanging irritating banter with you at the moment, anyway. This may be a hard idea for you to grasp, but I did not come to Domino simply to straighten out things with you, Yami. I would have had to eventually come here anyway, although it was not my intention." He smirked, leaning back in his chair, crossing one of his legs over the other. "Some other pianist died some time ago – I don't remember how or why – but apparently my father had some business arrangements with him, too. I have all of the pianist's assets. His girlfriend moved from his home after his death and moved here. I have to pay her a visit." He took another drag from his cigarette, his eyes narrowing on Yami. "Would you mind very much to come in the actual room? It's starting to piss me off, seeing you lurking in the hallway like that."

Yami and Otogi stepped into the room, although the former appeared reluctant. "Which pianist?" Yami asked with a sliver of interest. Kaiba positioned his cigarette between his lips and then leaned over the table to take hold of a file, flipping it open and shuffling some papers. With Kaiba's attention turned to the papers, Otogi took a moment to analyze the male. If not for his lack of a pleasant personality, Otogi could understand the appeal he might have for women. He was not at all unattractive, even rather handsome. It was clear that he had a brilliant mind if he was working on several different financial situations and it helped that he was so wealthy. Otogi was not so sure he would have met the man if not for him being vaguely connected to Yami.

Kaiba removed his cigarette, returning it to being between his index and middle finger, sighing smoke through his nostrils. "Jiiro Hanazawa," he said after a pause. "The girl he was with left her family and got a divorce by herself so that she could be with him. Sakura Mazaki. Know either of them?" Kaiba raised a bored stare to Yami and Otogi, both of whom were looking horrified. "Should I assume that you do?"

"_Anzu's_ mother?" Otogi sputtered in disbelief. Kaiba looked from him to Yami and slowly, his mouth curved into a smirk.

"Well...Looks like we have something other than your finances to discuss, Yami."

X

DIS: A longish chapter to make up for last chapter. I apologize for the cliffhanger, but I could not help myself! Everything is so intertwined in this story...I have an idea of how I am going to untangle it, but we still have to get deeper into everything. In any case, please leave a review telling me how you liked it! Ciao!


	16. Attaching the strings of fate

Thanks to **kaibasgirlx, fantasia-49, SwordMasterZ, :3 Stalker, DaAmazingMeepers, dancers of the night, Super-special-awesome Pirate, CraziAznGirl, Arana Is** (I actually really like Kaiba, but he _is_ an asshole, so I had to keep to his character. I think the problem I have with Mai is that I adore her as such a flexible character, but because of her character, I write her out as some nasty characters in my stories)**, Virgo Asmita, Sakura Takanouchi, ANZU&ATEM FAN, Darling Daring Duckie **(Thanks for the book suggestion! I definitely need something to read. I've been re-reading things lately. I definitely do not edit my chapters as carefully as I should, so thanks for the heads up on that, too)**, Secluded Sapphire, Ari **(Problem is that when I get writer's block, it's that I know where I want to go, I just don't know how to get to that place. Thank you for the advice nonetheless)**, **and **super-rat **for reviewing.

For the question a few people mentioned: "Did Anzu's mom run away with Yami's dad?" The answer is, "No." Jiiro Hanazawa was Yami's close friend and mentor, but _not_ his father, and Anzu's mom fell in love with him. So, for those that are freaking out, thinking I'm going to do something like in Korean dramas, Yami and Anzu are not step-brother and step-sister. Not even I would be that cruel. ;D

And, after leaving you guys with a killer cliffhanger, here is the anticipated chapter sixteen! Enjoy!

X

_Chapter Sixteen, Attaching the strings of fate_

"Jiiro Hanazawa," Seto Kaiba said after a pause. "The girl he was with left her family and got a divorce by herself so that she could be with him. Sakura Mazaki. Know either of them?" Kaiba raised a bored stare to Yami and Otogi, both of whom were looking horrified, their eyes wide. "Should I assume that you do?"

"_Anzu's_ mother?" Otogi sputtered in disbelief. Kaiba looked from him to Yami and slowly, his mouth curved into a smirk. Yami felt a shiver of dread travel through his body, knowing too well that Kaiba was about to put his two cents in as he always did when it came to his life.

"Well...Looks like we have something other than your finances to discuss, Yami." Kaiba leaned leisurely back in his seat, flicking the ash from his cigarette in the ashtray and raising it to his lips, the smoke drifting above him in steady, gray swirls. Yami drew himself up and controlled his face as well as he could, glancing at Otogi uncertainly, wondering if he knew about any of this. Clearly he did not. His expression was as baffled as Yami's.

"It would explain why Anzu never mentioned her before," Otogi murmured to Yami faintly. Yami felt a pang of guilt at having never told Otogi about the ordeal between him and Anzu's mother. It seemed that not only would he have to tell Otogi that, but in front of Seto Kaiba no less. This was about to become a very complicated discussion between the three of them. "Does your oh-so-powerful file over there give the names of her family, Kaiba?" Otogi queried, raising his voice slightly so that the man in question could hear him. Kaiba stared at him with a black gaze for a pause and then turned again to look at the papers.

"A daughter, Anzu Mazaki, and a husband, Seiji Mazaki. The girl was only six when Sakura left." He turned his gaze back to them, a slight tension at the corners of his eyes. Yami stared back, his mouth twisting a bit. He understood too well why Kaiba mentioned the age. No one but Yami knew that Kaiba's secret weakness were children. The wound from his younger brother's death was still quite fresh and painful. Because Yami's own financial interests were controlled by Kaiba, he knew that behind the selfish, arrogant exterior Kaiba held, there was a man that cared dearly for children. A good majority of his money went to charities to help with that.

_Funny, because Kaiba always denies that he is kind. It's almost as if he wants to be a bastard, _Yami mused. Dismissing that, he softly said, "I see...You realize that Anzu and Seiji are in Domino City, Kaiba, don't you?" Kaiba's brow furrowed and he lowered his hand from his face.

"Explain yourself."

"The girl that told you off was Anzu Mazaki," Otogi answered for Yami. "She moved here some time ago with her father, if I'm right. They don't live in the same apartment, but they came here together. It would make sense if Sakura came back to the family she abandoned."

"No, you're only basing that on assumption," Kaiba snapped, pointing a warning finger at Otogi and then directing it towards Yami. "_He, _on the other hand, knows something. I would bet my company on it." He stabbed his cigarette into the ashtray, putting it out. "Have you talked to the mother, Yami?"

"Yes," he replied simply. "She came to the opera house looking for her daughter. Anzu was upset and ran off stage. I told Sakura to leave and she thought it would be amusing to hint at some...unfortunate details of mine." His pointed a look towards the CEO that he knew Kaiba would understand. Kaiba's had his resources and had discovered Yami's somewhat marred background on his own without using the records his father had made. Clearly that someone but himself and Yami knew of this disturbed him.

"How the hell did she find that out?" He grumbled, standing up and jerking the window open to clear the room of the smoke. "It isn't exactly well-known."

"I suppose Jiiro Hanazawa told her," Yami stated nonchalantly. "He and I were close colleagues once. He taught me the essentials of what I know and helped me get through school and become a pianist. Don't ask me _why_ he would have confided this to Sakura. It has been _years_ since I last spoke to him. We had a disagreement. I can only give you so much information." One of Yami's eyebrows rose. "Why are you so interested in their family affairs, anyway? I was under the impression all you had to do was take care of the will and that was the end of it."

"If only," Kaiba darkly responded, crossing his arms and leaning against the windowsill. "Hanazawa and my father had a very personal contract. He must have changed it at the time when he and Sakura officially got together because he has requested I fix up the problems in her family. He wrote on the thing that he doesn't want her to be _alone_ in the world." Kaiba's mouth curled in utter disgust. "As if I really give a damn what he wants." Kaiba glanced at Otogi in annoyance. "Are you still here?"

"Obviously," Otogi sneered in return. "I intend to stay by Yami until the end of the meeting even though I have no idea what either of you are talking about."

"But you are going to heed the contract anyway, aren't you?" Yami queried, ignoring their interaction.

"I am a man of business," Kaiba said, "and an _honorable _one, unlike the others that prefer to corrupt their position." He sighed, looking to the pack of cigarettes on the table wistfully. It was clear that he was cutting down smoking as he simply looked away from them with a twist of his mouth. "I may have a proposal for you, though, Yami." Kaiba flashed a smirk to the pianist. "I have no particular desire to get closer to that little hellion of a girlfriend that you have – "

"She's not my girlfriend," Yami interrupted quickly.

"As if I care. Like I was saying, since you are closer to her, I want you to try and heal the rift in their family. Personally, I think her mother can fuck off for what she did, but I can't pick and choose when it comes to contracts." Kaiba uncrossed his arms and braced his hands against the windowsill behind him. "If you can do that, I'll ignore the insult you delivered to me by giving your financial deals to your weasel of a friend." He nodded towards Otogi to indicate just who that weasel happened to be. Otogi raised his eyebrows mildly at the name he had been given, not at all ruffled by it. "We won't have to fight with each other over this. Frankly, I'm not in the mood for one of your piss fits anyway."

"One of mine," Yami repeated.

"Yes, one of _your _piss fits," Kaiba growled.

"You seem to be mistaken."

"I am certain that I am _not_ mistaken."

Otogi, sensing that any type of agreement between them could be vanquished in less than a minute, hastily intercepted by saying, "Gentlemen, enough of this animosity, eh?" He had been hoping to see a showdown between the two, but the eagerness for that had passed after learning of Anzu's family drama and that Yami had been involved in it. He was hurt that his pianist friend had not bothered to tell him about him it. From what he had gathered, though, Sakura had mentioned something about Yami's family. He suspected that was what had sent him into his drinking episode earlier when Anzu had called Otogi. _But I suppose he wouldn't tell me as it is not really his place, _Otogi reluctantly admitted to himself.

"What if the rift cannot be fixed?" Yami questioned Kaiba in an undeniably cold voice.

"Then at least we can say you tried and my conscience can be put at ease," Kaiba returned with an unpleasant leer on his lips.

"I suppose we have an accord." He stepped forward and extended a hand. Kaiba pushed off from the windowsill and grasped Yami's hand in agreement. Otogi watched as they glared at each other, their hands clasped so hard that their knuckles were turning white. Both of them held false grins that were more malevolent than friendly. A moment passed before they jerked hands away at the same time. "I will call you later in the week, Yami," he said as Yami and Otogi started towards the door.

"Do that," Yami suggested, opening the door and waiting for Otogi exit before him. As he stepped out, Kaiba took hold of the doorknob. Yami paused, turning to look at him with a puzzled frown. "You'll be staying in Domino?"

"For awhile," he responded. "I have a company here that I want to look over. I'll stay a bit to see whether mending the rift in the Mazaki family is possible. Once I'm satisfied I'll be leaving."

"Sounds lovely."

Kaiba smirked, as though having been just challenged and shut the door on them without so much as a farewell. Otogi raised his middle to the door, scowling, before following Yami down the hallway to the elevator. He could tell that Yami was - understandably - brooding about his and Kaiba's conversation and remained respectively silent, thinking of the information he had gathered himself. He had intended on passionately defending Yami about being put in control of his friend's finances rather than get a ton of blackmail material for Anzu.

As the two stepped into the elevator, Otogi's cell phone went off. Yami blinked and looked to his friend questionably while Otogi dug in his pocket to retrieve his phone. Glancing at the name flashing on the screen, he punched 'Send' and answered amiably, "Hello, Mai. What's happening?

"Literally or figuratively?" came his friend's dry voice. An alarmed look crossed his face, hearing the exhausted, almost hoarse sound to her voice. He had been friends with her long enough and had rode through a good deal of hard times with her to know that she had been crying. He could tell, also, that she had not wanted to call him, which was strange unto itself. "Otogi, I know what's going through your head right now and I'm going to tell you that yes, I have been crying." She paused and he patiently waited for her to explain why it was that she had been crying. In a none-too-subtle manner, she blandly said, "Jounouchi came over to pick Rena up."

"How did that go?"

"We didn't fight if that's what you're asking," she replied with a soft sigh. "I was...Well, I was going to call Anzu before you, but I don't want to bother her with my problems and we've only just become friends. I don't want to seem like just another blubbering blonde twit to her. That would hardly make a good impression." She sighed again. "Rena misses Jounouchi a lot."

"Mai, Jounouchi's hours are erratic," he said as the elevator came to a halt and he and Yami exited. Beside him, Yami glanced at him at the mention of Jounouchi. "Rena _does _miss him – I mean, it's obvious that she does – but with his hours, he can't perform as a single dad, you know that. She would see more of Shizuka than him because of his working and I think he knows that himself, that's why he doesn't insist on more time with her. This works out best for you two, even if it doesn't for Rena." Otogi did not feel, either, that Jounouchi was entirely responsible or at least not responsible in the way that Mai was. She was in control of everything around her, but barely had any control on her own life. He worried that if she was not careful, her life was going to come crashing down around her ears and she would lose control of everything else. Her footing was far too precarious at the present time.

"I feel so awful about myself, Otogi," she murmured quietly on the other line. "Seeing how her face lights up whenever she sees Jounouchi...She's never greeted me that way – _ever_. Even when we were married, she favored Jounouchi over me. Am I an inadequate mother to her? Do you think I've been a poor mother?"

"No, you've been a wonderful mother to Rena," Otogi assured. "It's just...I don't know, it's just how things sometimes are. Don't let it bother you. She's a kid, her feelings are conflicted between you and Jounouchi. That's how divorce is."

"But it's my fault."

Otogi blinked, startled at this confession. For the time since Mai and Jounouchi had been divorced, Mai had never admitted that she was at fault, that it was her witless actions that caused the divorce to unfold as it did. She had always claimed it was Jounouchi who had caused the problems in their marriage, that her affairs had nothing to do with their marriage falling apart. It was odd to see that she was experiencing honest clarity in such a personal manner. He had always known that Mai's heart still lied with Jounouchi; was it the so-called power of love?

"Maybe," was his vague response. "Do you want me to come over?"

"No. I just wanted to talk to someone. I'm going to sleep. Thank you, Otogi."

"Yeah...Sure."

"Goodbye."

"Bye." He hung up, his brow furrowed as they exited the hotel. Yami eyed his friend as Otogi tucked his phone away, his mouth turned down in a puzzled expression. "Marriage is a strange thing, Yami. I see no reason why it should appeal to you. Hell, relationships in general are confusing." He glanced at Yami to see that the pianist had given a tiny smile, appearing thoughtful. "But I think you already know that last bit of information."

"If you're referring to Anzu – " Yami began.

"Who else? I don't think either of you could muck up a relationship like Mai and Jounouchi have theirs, though." Otogi reached up and rubbed the back of his neck as they moved down the sidewalk at a leisurely pace. "I'm not saying that relationships are bad – I love Shizuka and am happy as her boyfriend – but some people just can't handle it. Mai is definitely one of them, seeing as how she has only enjoyed flings and never had any permanent relationships before Jounouchi. He, on the other hand, had _no _relationships before Mai and fell head over heels in love with her. After the initial lust, of course."

"It isn't the relationship part that they are poor at, Otogi," Yami calmly told him. "They don't understand each other and neither of them were willing to try and understand. From what I can tell by meeting them, they are polar opposites."

"They are," Otogi sighed. "For the longest time, Mai said that was why they divorced, but today she finally said it was _her _fault. It was the first time she had ever been honest about that..." He trailed off and then shook his head, saying, "Well...She doesn't like when I get involved in those kind of issues of hers, so let's talk about what happened between you and Kaiba. What's this about meeting Anzu's mother, Yami? You never told me anything about that. By the way, I'm not too outraged, as it's not really my business."

Yami grimaced a bit. "Anzu's mother threw the disgusting truth of my blood in my face, so I wasn't really in the mood to bring the wretched woman up anyway." One of Otogi's eyebrows rose in surprise at the term he placed upon Sakura Mazaki. "Apparently she thinks she can just skip back into her daughter's life as if she didn't run away with Hanazawa. Anzu was upset when Sakura showed up at the opera house, so I tried to get her to leave." He sighed. "I really don't want to bother Anzu with these kinds of things right now with the auditions getting so close. I need her mind clear and focused on the auditions."

"No kidding," Otogi muttered. "It's starting to piss _me_ off how everything is swarming around her. You think it's a sign of fate attempting to intervene?"

"There is no such thing as fate," was the response he received.

X

Anzu knocked on the door before entering, calling, "Anyone here? The door was open..." Jounouchi came ambling out of the living room, a lopsided grin on his lips. Smiling in greeting, she said, "I was hoping you were home. I brought some ice cream." Anzu had, in fact, just come from Miho's after the girl had invited her to her apartment to question her about Honda, searching for dirt on him. Anzu had thought that it was like Miho _wanted _her to say something bad about Honda Hiroto. Thankfully, she had nothing to say about him to dissuade Miho's affection for him. Personally, Anzu had yet to figure out what it was that Miho found so attractive in Honda. "Honda's going out on a date with one of my friends," she said as Jounouchi led her to the kitchen and she set her two plastic bags on the counter.

"A _date?_" Jounouchi repeated, his brown eyes widening incredulously. "_Him?_ Anzu, ya really shouldn't make jokes like that." He set a hand on her shoulder, a solemn look on his face. "No girl wants Honda's ugly mug." She scowled and knocked him over the head with her fist - hard. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For talking about your friend behind his back! Besides," she undid the knot on the plastic bag, throwing a smirk his way, "whoever said you were good looking?" He put a hand to his heart in a pained gesture.

"Now I'll never be able to tell you about the crush I have on you if that's what you think about me," he said in a mocking tone. She laughed and after a second, he joined. "But seriously! Who's Honda goin' on a date with? I never heard about this. That bastard...Not keeping me updated on things, why I oughtta – " The door opened again and he frowned, turning in confusion. The subject of their conversation came hurrying down the hall, his face flushed excitedly. "EH?"

"Jounouchi, you wouldn't believe – " Honda spotted Anzu taking out a half gallon of Bunny Tracks ice cream and said, "Oh, hi, Anzu. Did you - ?"

"I already told him," she affirmed with a smile and then turned back to the ice cream as Jounouchi interrogated Honda about who the girl was, where he planned on taking her, etc., etc., etc. Anzu took out two litres of Root Beer and a half gallon of vanilla ice cream from her other plastic bag. She was thinking back to her own day. Things had never been as eventful in her old home as they were in Domino. There were no grand entrances by wealthy CEOs, setting up dates between friends, or even mild arguments between herself and other men. It had been dull, with the same things occurring over and over again: school, work, dance classes, work, dinner, sleep, and then repeat.

_It seems that everyone has a love interest except for me, _Anzu noted with a sad twist of her mouth. _I know that Miho and Mai both suspect, but I don't think I could plainly tell them that I _do_ like Yami. It's not just because of how nice he is and how willing he is to help me in any problem outside of dancing, either. It's his...I don't know, his aura. It's like he speaks in half-sentences and never lets himself say everything he's thinking. I can't help but wonder if that bad drinking habit is because, inside, he's really broken? I want to help him the way he helps me, the way he helped Otogi, yet I'm afraid of getting that close and I know he would never let me. _She almost sighed aloud. _I do like him. Do I like him enough to want to date him, though? He's my accompanist and we should only have a professional view. If I lost him as an accompanist, I don't think I could really get through my career as a dancer...Not even if I had a different accompanist._

"_What? _Seriously? That girl from the café? Isn't she the same one from the corner store that you lent money to?" Anzu raised her eyes from the ice cream she had been staring at, grinning at Honda's blushing face. Jounouchi was acting – and looking – like a fourteen-year-old teenage boy, hopping from foot to foot, his face flickering between astonishment and humor. "Man, she's like your personal little stalker!"

"Shut the hell up!" Honda cuffed Jounouchi in the side of the head. "She's _beautiful_..."

"You said that about my sister, too, ya floozy!"

"You can only call _girls_ floozies, idiot!"

As they begin to bicker, a young, high-pitched voice cut through their masculine voices, calling, "Daddy!" Both men halted, turning to Shizuka and Jounouchi's daughter that had come downstairs to investigate the noise. Her mouth spread into a grin as she added, "Uncle Honda!" Honda knelt down and lifted the girl up into his arms. She giggled, clasping her tiny arms around his neck fondly.

"How are you, beautiful?" Jounouchi rolled his eyes at the word and one of Honda's eyes twitched warningly. "Haven't been flirting with any other guys while I've been away, have you?" He winked at Rena, who laughed delightedly.

"Noooo," she crooned, smiling at him. Her eyes caught yet another person in the room and she thrust her arms out towards Anzu insistently, demanding, "Anzu!" and Honda obliged the girl by handing her to Anzu. Rena did not need to be cooed to or even spoken to when it came to Anzu. She simply curled up against Anzu and popped her thumb in her mouth, closing her eyes. Anzu absent-mindedly stroked Rena's dishwater blonde hair, raising her eyes to Jounouchi, who was looking at Rena with a fatherly affection.

"What have you got there, Anzu?" Shizuka inquired, pushing through the two males blocking the doorway and peering over her shoulder at the ice cream. With a groan, she put a hand on Anzu's arm and briefly slumped against her in relief. "You're a goddess, bringing me something fattening." Shizuka pulled away and clapped her hands. "And you bought stuff to make Root Beer floats. I could not thank you more!"

"Ice cream?" Honda questioned, crowding over to the counter. "Mmm..."

"Glutton!" Jounouchi teased behind his friend.

"Wouldn't be talking," Honda sneered. Anzu laughed and Rena raised her head to look at what it was that everyone was making a fuss over. Soon, everyone was maneuvering around the kitchen to gather bowls, spoons, tall cups, and ice cream scoops to dig into the dessert that Anzu had brought for them. Anzu was glad that she had ended her day at the Katsuya household, even though a small portion of her stomach reflected dread for the next day...

X

DIS: (rubs hands together) Hmm...What is so mysterious about the next day? Maybe nothing, maybe everything! Well, sorry for the long wait. (bows pathetically) I will not give excuses – I had plenty of time to update it – but I will try harder to update it faster next time. Please leave a review telling me how you liked it. Sorry there isn't a lot of Yami/Anzu, but I'm still getting into their relationship...Ciao!


	17. An added factor

DIS: Advice for y'all: never go to college a year early. It's exhausting. All this week I've been sleeping as soon as I get home because I'm just getting hammered. Not only am I stressed about my projects at the college and work, but my senior presentation next week. If I don't pass the presentation, I don't get to graduate. I'm really anxious. In any case, I'm really trying to update as fast as I can, but it just takes some time. Please don't think I'm abandoning this story – I'm not. I just have a really busy end of the quarter right now. Anyway. Here is the awaited chapter seventeen!

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_Chapter Seventeen, An added factor_

A sigh escaped the male's lips as he pushed his hair from his face, one of his smooth eyebrows rising mildly. "_This _is where Ryou lives...?" he muttered to himself, his mouth twisting into a sour expression. Shrugging, he dropped his hand and glanced down into his car that he had stepped out of. Giving his keys a little spin around his finger, he took a step back and shut the door, then looking them. Sending a curious look to a woman that was walking and staring at him, he flashed a charming smirk at her and she tripped on her high heels. Snickering, he shook his head and continued towards the apartment complex.

_Not at all where I expected Ryou to live with his income, _he mused thoughtfully, catching his keys in the palm of his hand and allowing a small frown to pull the corners of his mouth downward. _Too plain..._ He flicked a look to the cars that were in the parking lot. _Obviously middle-class people. Ah, well, Ryou always did enjoy mingling with the second-rudest people in society. _He smiled and entered the apartment, taking the stairs rather than the elevator. When he arrived on the fourth floor, he moved down the corridor, looking at the apartment door numbers interestedly before pausing in front of one.

After knocking briskly, he paused, turning to see if anyone peeked out of their doors like he expected. Disappointed at the stillness of the corridor, he turned back to the door just as it opened and a puzzled face came into view. A moment later, the face turned disgruntled. "You don't seem happy to see me, Ryou," he said in mock sadness. "I hope you weren't hoping I got into a car accident or anything."

"You're mistaking me for the unsavory characters _you_ hang with, Malik," Ryou said with a sigh. "Come in." He stepped back while Malik Ishtar entered the apartment with the familiar grace of a dancer. Ryou ushered him into the living room, where he settled on the couch quite comfortably. Ryou took a moment to survey his guest and could not help but be envious. Malik had always been taller than him, with a lither frame. Ryou had needed to work on his grace, while it had always been natural for Malik. He expected Malik had always had more of a passion for his dancing and had more personal reasons to go after the career than Ryou. "You came into Domino at the perfect time. You'll like it here."

"Just right now or I really will like the city?"

"Tea?"

"No, thanks."

"Just right now," Ryou answered, taking his own cup of tea and sitting in a chair across from Malik. He raised the cup to his lips and then carefully settled it on the saucer and set it on the coffee table. "Kaiba's in Domino, too, doing business with Yami." Malik scowled. "And Yami is involved in the try-outs that you're judging. He's the accompanist for a dancer."

"You're not _serious_, are you?" Malik queried, his good mood having been dimmed by the information of Kaiba's presence in the city. "After he got kicked out of that concert a while back, I was sure he was going to give up on playing. Last time I saw him, he lectured me about having a promiscuous reputation and some other shit like that." Malik waved a hand dismissively. "I didn't listen to a word he said, of course. He's so hung up about honor these days and wanting a family that all that comes out of his mouth is a bunch of bull. He's beginning to annoy me, to be honest." Malik sat back, drumming his fingers over the arm of the couch as Ryou took another drink of his tea, appearing unruffled by Malik's sneering opinion of his friend. "Is the dancer any good? If she's good, I _guess_ I could understand if he'd get back into the mood for piano playing."

"She's very good. She hasn't even been properly initiated into the dancing community yet. This will be her first audition." Malik frowned, seeming to take a professional interest. "And no, you cannot meet her." A flicker of surprise crossed the blonde's face.

"But why not?"

"Because you _are _promiscuous. There's no false reputation to it." Ryou shot him a warning look over his cup of tea. "I know how you treat your women, Malik. I'm not an idiot. Any girl that you train ends up in your bed _somehow_, regardless of whether she hates you or not. I don't know if you drug them or what." Indeed, Ryou had watched several heartbroken young dancers flee from their career when they experienced the cruel realities of life. Malik never said that he didn't love them, but took advantage of it, slept with them, and politely – yet sharply – bid them farewell afterward. Ryou had tried to convince the girls to return and most of the time he was successful. The ones he didn't know about and got to too late were the ones he failed. "It's revolting."

"I'm not interested in what you think about me, Ryou," Malik told him in a bored tone, an irritated frown on his lips. "What I do in the bedroom is none of your business. You don't see me getting on you about how you _never _get with girls. What? Like men, instead?"

"If all you've come here for is to insult me, then I shall have to ask you to leave," Ryou politely said, unfazed by Malik's slur. The Egyptian male stared at him a moment and then sighed, looking away with a weary expression on his face. It was clear that he did _not_ want to insult Ryou, let alone argue with him.

"You know that I didn't come here to fight," he said, turning back to look at Ryou. He grimaced. "You've learned of some of the troubles I've run into, I suppose?" Ryou's shoulders lifted in a vague response before he took another drink of his tea, staring at his guest without blinking. Malik shifted in his seat for a moment and then got to his feet, crossing his arms in an agitated manner. "I'm lucky I still have my job, Ryou," he admitted. "I'm _damn_ lucky that they chose me to judge for this. I've been walking on a very thin line just to keep this position. My character's been defiled by the media, hardly anyone will allow me into their ballets, and my savings are dwindling to a pathetic amount. If I don't get a job soon, I'm going to end up destitute."

"How does this concern me, Malik?" Ryou asked quietly. "You know I always disapproved of your lifestyle and warned you to stay out of the business you got involved in. I won't sympathize – you should know this well enough."

"I'm not looking for _sympathy,_" Malik spat. "I haven't got any money, Ryou, not if I want to keep up with my bills. I've sold my house, my car, and anything else I had of worth. I'm barely able to keep up the rent on my apartment."

"This is, no doubt, because you choose to live in the most expensive of apartment complexes."

Ignoring him, Malik continued, "My ticket was pre-paid by the agency for me to judge these try-outs and is an all around trip, so I didn't have to worry about that, nor the expense to send my car over here. I don't have any money to pay a car rental or taxi, not even the money for a motel." Ryou was beginning to see where this was going and glanced around his own home as he drained the rest of his tea. As low as Malik had become in the last years, he knew that, at some level, they were considered friends. He wouldn't rip him off and try to steal anything of his. The only thing of real value, anyway, was his piano.

"So you want a place to stay?" Ryou assumed, standing up and moving to the kitchen to put his dishes on the counter. Malik followed him, seeming to regain some control over himself as he did. "Are you in debt, Malik, or simply short of funds because of your tarnished reputation?" When there was not an immediate response, he turned his head slightly to see Malik hesitating, perhaps considering over a lie to tell him.

Seeing Ryou's look, he sighed and confessed, "A little of both. I've paid off most of the debt. It didn't help when one of my...business partners...decided to die on me. He ended up fucking me over, so now I'm stuck paying back people _I _don't even know and he sent all his money to some little bitch girlfriend of his. That's partly why I've been so intent on keeping this job after I learned that Yami was still in Domino. It helps that you are, too."

"Yami?" Ryou repeated, surprised. "What has he got to do with your problems? He isn't involved in that business anymore, Malik, you know that. He cut off his ties as soon as his parents – well."

"I know all of that," Malik dismissed with a wave of his hand, moving to the other side of the kitchen where the balcony was. He leaned against the glass windows, peering through it, looking out at Domino City. "Trust me, I know. His parents are still trying to find him. He moves around so much, though, that his money is fairly safe from them. I've never met worse leeches than him. But that's neither here nor there. I'm not talking about his parents. They know better than to try and get to Yami through me. Jiiro Hanazawa has made my life some kind of hellacious and I know that Yami used to be close to him."

"The key words there are '_used to be._' You can't be sure that Yami knows anything about him now," Ryou informed him with a slight shake of his head. "The guy's dead, Malik. What can you possibly expect to do? You've been beaten at your own game." This seemed to only piss his friend off. Malik pushed away from the window and stalked to where Ryou was, closing him in, a hand braced against the counter on each side of the counter. Ryou merely stared back at him, surprisingly calm.

"Even if Yami hasn't spoken to him, he's in a circle that I'm not," Malik stated. "Pianists and dancers don't mingle unless it has to do with work. Yami doesn't quite have an entrance into our circle, just as I don't have quite an entrance into his. He's one step ahead of me, though..." He pulled back, a musing expression on his face. "If that girl does well on the stage and she makes her debut with _Swan Lake_, she's going to get all kinds of offers and anything she hears, he'll hear. In any case...All I want to know is who Hanazawa's girlfriend is."

"You're not a common thug, Malik. You can't go beating on the woman's door and asking for her money. Unless you intend to kill her. Would that be your last resort?"

"I'm getting her to pay off the debts that her boyfriend landed on my doorstep." Malik pushed a hand through his hair, flashing a brief, taunting smile. "I doubt that you're going to stop me. You prefer words over actions, I've noticed." Ryou seemed immune to Malik's taunts, which was no surprise, as they had been thrown at him ever since they had met. "That's my own business, though. What I do is what I do. I only came here to ask if I can stay during the auditions and a bit of time afterward." He snapped his fingers as though something had just occurred to him. "Oh! And I'll need Yami's address, of course."

Ryou pursed his lips, seeing that Malik had every intention of doing as he promised. He understood that, not only because Malik was stubborn, but also because his life was literally ravaged by debts that were not his own. Ryou suspected those were the ones he had yet to pay. However, he was not entirely comfortable with giving Yami's personal address to him. He could take him to the opera house, yet there was a problem there, too. Anzu would be there and she was the last person he wanted Malik to see, especially when he was so stressed out. The first thing that Malik turned to when he became stress was the comfort of a woman in his bed. Suspecting Anzu to be a virgin and, from his own observations, fond of Yami, she did not need to be seduced by Malik.

_She's strong, _he assured himself. _Yami will be able to pull her back if she falls under Malik's spell. Besides, I have to think of Yami first. Malik isn't as innocent as his smile suggests..._ "Alright," he sighed, having made an agreeable conclusion, "here's what we'll do, Malik. I have to go the opera house later on to meet Yami and Anzu – "

"Who's Anzu?"

"The dancer," Ryou replied curtly and then continued, "You can come with me when I go to meet them. I doubt Yami wants many people to know his whereabouts. It's best that we do it this way and that way, no one will be damaged in the end. And you can stay here."

"That will do perfect. I'm not out for his life, anyway, I just want to talk to him." He flashed a wicked smirk at Ryou. "I'll go get my things." As he was walking from the kitchen, he called, "Maybe I'll like Domino after all!" Ryou listened as the door shut behind Malik and then he looked at his teacup and saucer with a rueful expression.

"I think I'll make another cup of tea," he murmured absently to himself.

X

Miho heard the sputter of a motorbike stopping some ways from the café. It didn't matter that there was other traffic. She knew how to distinguish Honda's motorbike. She bit her lip and glanced at Anzu, who had only arrived about five minutes ago and was tying on her barista apron. She smiled encouragingly at Miho, who returned it tremulously. _I've never been very good with guys, _Miho thought, turning away from Anzu and fingering her yellow, short-sleeve shirt. She had worn a small, fitting navy blue vest over it, dark blue skinny jeans, and white flats. In her hair she had her usual, yellow ribbon. _I don't know what I'm supposed to wear out to lunch with a guy or what to say or anything...Anzu said I looked fine. I wish she could come with me. It's going to be so awkward with us alone. _Her heart tripped over itself as somebody paused outside one of the café windows and took off his helmet. As suspected, it was Honda. _But then, _she tried to reassure herself, _we've talked alone before. Maybe it...won't be _too_ bad._

Miho tugged her vest down a bit as Honda continued towards the door and opened it. She almost sighed aloud at seeing him. Any other girl might not have found Honda attractive. He had sharper features than most men, but with Miho, it was never about look. She always fell in love with a guy's smile. Naturally, she never said anything to the guy and this was the first time she had ever been noticed by the same guy she liked. _He looks so much more confident than I do_, she thought despairingly. _I'm going to look like a complete fool to him! _

"Honda, hey," Anzu greeted, creeping up behind Miho and taking a hold of her shoulders, peering out from behind her. "You're right on time. That's great. I'm leaving early today to meet Yami, so try to be back before one, okay?" She smiled at him as Honda nodded wordlessly and then turned to Miho. "Have _fun_," she whispered and then patted Miho's shoulders and stepped back, moving to the cash register. Miho pushed back the disconnecting counter and shyly looked to Honda.

"Well, let's get going," he said in the regular, nonromantic, masculine way that he and Jounouchi had. "I found a great place. Oh, I hope you don't mind riding on motorcycles? I brought an extra helmet..."

"No, that's fine," she assured him. _Ohh, I wish I wasn't so self-conscious. _He _isn't..._

Contrary to Miho's thoughts, Honda was anything but confident. Anzu, Jounouchi, and Shizuka had hammered manners and etiquette and advice into him last night after putting Rena to bed. He was barely holding up the façade of a self-assured male, comfortable in his skin. That was Jounouchi, not him! When it came to women, he was a total mess, which explained why most of his girlfriends didn't last long or the girls he became attracted to usually rejected him. However, Anzu had told him that since Miho was a really shy girl, he would need to be the social one. After those four sentences though, he felt himself converting back into his bumbling personality.

He led her to where his motorbike was parked and took the miniature helmet from the top and handed it to her. She fitted it over her head, pony tail and all and lifted the visor to grin at him. "I've never been on a motorcycle before," she admitted as he shoved his helmet on his own head and buckled it beneath his chin.

"Yeah, I've only had this baby for about a year," he said, patting his motorbike and wincing in his helmet. _There I go sounding like an idiot. Who calls their motorcycle 'baby'? _"Oh, you need to..." He trailed off and reached up, buckling the latch underneath her chin. She let her visor drop to hide the contented smile that lifted her lips upward. She tried hard not to blush, but failed rather miserably. He turned away from her and swung a leg over it, putting up the kickstand and kicking the motorcycle into action. "Sit right behind me, Miho," he instructed, secretly dreading it. Honda was definitely not the most expert male at stifling physical reactions when an attractive girl was pressed up against him. He bit down on his lip as soon as she shifted behind him and latched her arms around his waist. "See those pegs right there? Go ahead and put your feet there. There you go. Now, hold on tight!" He pushed away from the sidewalk and sped into the traffic.

Letting out a squeak of fear, her grip tightened around his waist and she closed her eyes. When she didn't fly off and the ride remained relatively steady, Miho opened her eyes and turned her head to see the cars and buildings and people whipping behind her as Honda weaved through cars to their destination. Cuddling a little closer to him, she smiled and decided that she liked riding on a motorbike quite a bit. The hair that wasn't confined in the helmet fluttered behind her and the wind tore around her from all sides. At first, it had been a bit frightening to think that such a violent wind was around her, but after the initial reaction, she found it was more exhilarating than anything else.

"This is amazing!" She called to him through the noise.

"Yeah, isn't it?" He answered back in a slightly louder voice than hers. "This is pretty much why I bought a motorbike! As soon as I first rode on one, I knew I had to get one."

"I can see what you mean!"

There was no conversation after that and Miho was glad that it wasn't an uncomfortable ride, with strange body heat and utter silence. It was soothing, even the sight of things speeding behind her was not bothersome, though in any other circumstances it might have made her nauseous. It made her want to rest her head against Honda's back, close her eyes, and listen to the wind snapping around her, impacting with cars as they pushed themselves forward and blew around her. Even though the wind itself was cold, the motorcycle and Honda kept her from getting a chill, the warmth spreading from her chest and extending outward to keep the rest of her body warm.

Miho wanted to toss her helmet off and feel the sting of the cold against her face, but had a feeling that Honda would not necessarily appreciate her throwing her helmet somewhere, perhaps knocking out some pedestrian. That would be rather troublesome for him since the helmet would come back to him. She did want to feel that, though, as the simple, wonderful feeling that it was. She could wait until winter to feel it; that was just it though – it _wasn't _winter and she could feel it _now._

That idea was brought to a halt as the sound died down around her ears and she was aware of the images slowing around her. She turned her head to see that Honda was pulling up next to a restaurant, one that she suspected was rather expensive. As soon as he turned off the motorbike, she took off her helmet and allowed him to help her step off. She stumbled on the sidewalk, seeing the building tilt dangerously. "Oh...Dizzy...," she murmured, tripping backwards and into him.

"It does that to you the first couple of times," he commented with a grin. She could not help but smile back at him, without any hesitance, because it was his smile that she loved so much. It was warm and trustworthy; it made her feel safe in a world that no one seemed to be truly safe in.

"Thank you, Honda," she said.

"Don't thank me yet. The ride was only the beginning." He winked at her and, with a hand on her elbow, walked with her to the entrance of the restaurant. She knew as soon as they stepped in that it most certainly _was _expensive. The tables were beautiful with glittering centerpieces on them and it was mostly men in suits that were sitting, eating, and discussing some thing or another with each other. There were no mothers and their crying children here or teenagers skipping school, decked out in all black with chains hanging from them and their hair dyed green. It was a respectable place to have lunch. She was touched that Honda would go so far for her, but she could not possibly accept it.

She raised her head and parted his lips to tell him that they could go somewhere else when she finally noticed just how nervous he was. The waiter had approached them and Honda looked as though everything he did or said was being judged by everyone else, including her. Miho waited until they were shown to their table and sitting down before she said, "You know you don't have to try and impress me, Honda." She did not feel as close to an anxiety attack as she did earlier now that she knew he was nervous as well.

"What do you mean?" was his blank response. It was accompanied with one of the best vacant expressions that she had ever seen. She wondered if someone taught him that or if that was his own device.

"This restaurant," she told him. "I would have been fine with some burger joint or Chinese or something. You didn't...you didn't have to do this." He blinked once, then twice, looking baffled, as though nobody had ever said such a thing to him.

"You...don't want to eat here?" He was honestly confused by the concept.

"Honda, I don't want you to waste money on a lunch." She smiled at him, hoping to whatever god existed that she wasn't saying the wrong thing, that she hadn't interpreted his expressions wrong. Surely he didn't want to spend however-much-money on a simple meal, did he? "I kind of wanted something fattening like a burger, some fries, maybe a milkshake..."

"I feel like such an ass," he laughed sheepishly. "I thought – well, most baristas eat like little salads so I thought you were a high class kind of girl and didn't want to insult you or anything." Miho almost breathed a sigh of relief. It was as though the ice had been broken between them. He had thought she was from a totally different social class than him, but he should have known when they first met at that corner store that she didn't have a lot of money. He was able to laugh at his own mistakes, so she should be able to laugh with him, to laugh at herself, too.

"You haven't seen how much Anzu and I can eat!" She said teasingly. "We could probably take you on any day."

"Hmm...So, wanna go get a burger then? Because I really am not in the mood for fancy food today."

"Me neither," she agreed and beamed across the table at him. She knew she was blushing. For once, Miho didn't care. She felt ridiculously happy spending her afternoon with this guy. She had barely known him, yet she was certain that she would want nothing more than to be right there with him. She wondered if he was thinking the same or her feelings were her own personal ones. At the moment, it didn't matter because he chose that moment to push away from the table and offered her a hand up. It was the most romantic gesture anyone had displayed to her.

X

Ryou was not yet certain of the intelligence of his decision to bring Malik to the opera house. In fact, he was wishing he was a worse friend and had chucked him elsewhere. Unfortunately, nobody could truly chuck Malik Ishtar and expect him not to come bouncing back. That was the only thing that the man did in difficult situations. Even now, he was winding himself up to bounce back and smack quite a few people in the jaw. Ryou vaguely wondered why when he thought of that metaphor, he imagined his friend as a Jack-in-the-Box. Shaking that thought away, he glanced behind him to see Malik trailing behind with his hands in his pockets, a musing expression on his face. They had taken a cab rather than drive. Ryou hated driving and Malik saw no reason to waste unnecessary money.

"You did promise that you wouldn't cause any problems," Ryou reminded him. Malik rolled his eyes.

"Give me a break! I'm not a child, Ryou, and I would appreciate you to not treat me as one, either." Ryou felt a twang of remorse because he knew that, indeed, he truly was treating Malik like a five-year-old. It wasn't that he was hyperactive and would go around tearing things down. It was more that he had an unfortunate lack of control when it came to saying what his exact thoughts were. Only when the consequences threatened to be particularly crucial did he restrain himself.

They entered the opera house and Malik surveyed it with an interested eye, noticing that, although it was not the best one he had been in, it certainly was not lacking in impressive furnishings. He followed Ryou into the auditorium, where he heard a familiar piano piece playing. He gave a slightly deranged grin. He always enjoyed annoying Yami, especially when he was in a particularly brooding mood. _Really,_ he mused, _he should be thanking me or he would be stuck in his morbid thoughts all the time. _Malik tilted his head to the side and saw someone talking to Yami, a violin in hand. That explained the last note he had heard coming from the violin.

"Ryou, there you are!" the violinist exclaimed, waving with his bow. "We were beginning to wonder if you were late." He glanced down at his violin and made a minor adjustment to the tuning, before asking, "Who's that with you?" Malik made a quick observation of Yami, whose head had appeared around the piano, his mouth turning down at spotting him, and then his companion. He had the build of a dancer, but based on his easy handling of the violin, he was anything but that. "Anzu called, saying she would be late. Honda went out on a date with her friend that works with her and they haven't returned yet. She's not too happy about it."

"And yet you sound cheerful about it," Ryou commented as he and Malik stepped onto the stage. "Malik, this is Otogi Ryuuji. Otogi - Malik Ishtar."

Malik smiled and offered his hand. Otogi transferred his bow to his left hand that was holding his violin and took the proffered hand in his own, clasping it briefly. "Nice to meet you," Malik politely greeted. "I suppose you're another of those musicians?" He gestured vaguely towards the violin. Otogi was unruffled by the subtle slur, taking his bow in hand and making an elegant gesture with it, smirking cockily.

"I'm not nearly as dedicated as Yami. I _sell_ instruments more than anything else. Nothing but the best, of course." A frown marred his features. "I was recently attacked because of that. Some people will do anything to get expensive instruments to sell. I make violins, too, though I rarely ever have time." He examined his own violin. Malik's eyes turned towards it, as well. "What about you? Not a musician, I'm guessing?"

"A dancer," Yami said before Malik could open his mouth. He rose from the piano bench and approached the group of men, crossing his arms, his eyes narrowing on Malik. "Come to aggravate me or did Ryou call you to help Anzu with her practicing?" One of his eyebrows tilted upward skeptically, his voice thick with sarcasm. Yami doubted that Ryou would call Malik to help Anzu with her practicing. Although Malik was one of the best dancers, he had a notorious reputation for being promiscuous and from what Yami knew of him, any girl that Malik trained not only ended up in his bed, but had to endure a good deal of scathing criticism.

They all became exquisite dancers, though.

"Neither," Malik responded with a shrug. "I'm judging the auditions. You might want to be nice to me, then, if you want your precious dancer to get through them."

"...You cannot be serious." Yami glanced at Ryou for confirmation and he received a reluctant nod. "But why would they choose you? You've been completely defamed in the dancing community. With how your career is going – "

"There is nothing wrong with my career!" Malik snapped petulantly. "I am just as good of a dancer as I have been. This has nothing to do with suddenly becoming a terrible dancer, Yami, it has to do with my financial situation and certain areas that I've been involved in. They could care less if I went around fucking every girl I could get my hands on. That's just what they're _saying_ is the reason for it. The only reason I'm not getting a job is because they think I'm on drugs and will be hallucinating and shoot them or something." He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair, a strained smile lifting his lips upward. "Listen. Before you piss me off further, let me at least ask you – did you speak to Jiiro Hanazawa before he died?"

_Ah,_ Malik thought, catching the defensive look in Yami's eyes. _He knows something, just as I figured he would_.

"Seems everyone wants to know something about that guy," Otogi muttered when Yami remained silent.

"You know about him?" Malik queried, turning to him instead. Yami put a hand on Otogi's arm to stop him from saying anything further, which only infuriated Malik. "For God's sake, he's _dead_, Yami! I can't hurt him, now can I? I just need to know who his girlfriend was." Otogi's eyebrows shot up and he sent a look to Yami, who seemed to be ignoring it. Malik, in turn, looked at Ryou. Ryou was ignoring all of it, staring ahead of him with a blank expression.

Yami was fighting an inward battle with himself. He was not obtuse. If Malik was looking for Jiiro Hanazawa's girlfriend, that could only mean that he had some dealings with him and some unexpected debts had been shot onto Malik's doorstep after the man had died. If Yami knew Hanazawa – and, seeing as he was once his pupil, he did – he had done everything he could to keep the debts from following Sakura Mazaki. _Jiiro was involved in bad circles, _Yami conceded to himself, _but he had never let his involvement harm anyone that he cared about, whether it be his lover or his friends. He was clever at that. He knew how to manipulate things to work just as he wanted. If he turned some debts towards Malik, he clearly saw him as only a business associate and nothing more._

"So...," Yami sighed. "Is this why you're in a precarious financial situation?" Ryou snapped out of his trance and looked to Yami in some confusion. The other two appeared just as baffled. "Malik? You hinted that you had dealings with him. Does that mean he sent some debts that should have gone to Sakura - to you?"

"Her name's Sakura? Oh, yes," he added carelessly when Ryou gave him a withering look. "I'll be damned if I'm going to pay his debts. I wouldn't care except that Hanazawa got damned as soon as he died, so naturally anyone involved with him was branded evil, too, and that included me. If I can't get a job and I have his debts hovering behind me at every step, I'm basically screwed."

"The men that he owed money to haven't contacted you?"

"Not yet. I've got a little bit more time before they try to force the money from me. That's why I need to find his little – Sakura, was it? She got all his money when he died and that's a damn good amount for just one woman. Clearly you know her." Yami heaved another sigh and pushed his bangs from his face, looking to Otogi, who had absorbed all that Malik had said without a word.

"What do you think, Otogi?" He murmured.

"I think," he said clearly as the doors opened, "that we should discuss this with Anzu, as Sakura is _her_ mother." The men turned to see Anzu rushing up to the stage.

X

DIS: I think you can start to see that it's not going to focus entirely on Anzu's dancing career. The thing that sucks is that, like with most of my stories, I don't outline it, I just write. Some things don't make sense even to me. I'm still not sure how this plot came up. Again, sorry for the late update. Please leave a review, telling me how you liked it. Ciao!


	18. To be a professional

DIS: Hey, guys! I've been having writer's block on all of my stories because of some side effects of this pill I've been taking. I haven't been keeping myself hydrated and so I've been sleeping almost as soon as I get home. However, I've learned from my mistakes and I'm finally able to sit up at my desk and type. So, here's the next chapter and sorry for all the cliffhangers! Enjoy! ;D

X

_Chapter Eighteen, To be a professional_

Anzu was not in a good mood. She was over an hour late in meeting Yami because Miho and Honda had decided to extend their lunch without even calling her. She was happy for her friends, though, especially when Miho practically skipped into the café, glowing. It was clear that their date had gone better than expected. She told Miho she would call her and get all the juicy details later and was still wearing her barista apron as she dashed out of the café. She said a rather foul word that generally would never even come to her mind when she realized she was still wearing it, but did not bother to turn back.

Her bad mood gave way to confusion and an uneasy feeling in her belly when she dashed into the auditorium, panting slightly. Four men were on the stage, three that she recognized, one that she did not, and they all turned when she entered. The uneasy feeling increased; none of them were smiling. She hastened onto the stage and hesitantly approached, moving between Yami and Otogi as she breathlessly said, "Sorry for being late..."

"It's fine," Ryou said, smiling at her. "I was a bit late myself, to be honest, so we didn't wait too long." She returned the smile, thankful that at least someone was willing to calm her crazed nerves. Her eyes moved to the male beside Ryou. He was eyeing her thoughtfully. He must have come to some conclusion about her, one that remained unknown to her and any of the others. She noticed that he was more slender than Ryou and incredibly handsome. He had the same feminine attractiveness that Ryou held. That, however, was where the femininity ended. The way he stood and how his eyes pierced her were quite masculine. His smirk when he noticed her stare was too inviting for her tastes and she inched towards Yami, who put a comforting hand on her back.

"This is Malik Ishtar," Yami said in his usual calm, quiet voice. "He's judging the auditions for _Swan Lake_."

"Oh...Hello," she murmured, uncertainly holding out her hand. The male in speaking flashed a suave smile and stepped forward, clasping her hand. He had a warm, dry palm compared to her cooler, somewhat damp hand from running. She grimaced afterward. "I had to run all the way here, so, er, sorry about that."

He chuckled. "It's fine. At least you actually offered your hand to shake or else I would have thought you were a rude snob." He paused, running his bright eyes over her once more. "I would be more than welcome to help you practice for the auditions. I consider myself a fine teacher when it comes to training pupils." Anzu opened her mouth, stopping herself when she saw the dark looks both Ryou and Yami sent him. Slowly, she closed her mouth, puzzling over the behavior of her two companions. She felt Yami's hand tense on her back, pulling her closer as if he feared Malik might lunge towards her and defile her. "But of course you have Ryou and neither he nor Yami trust me to keep my hands from less proper places." His smile turned mischievous and he raised an eyebrow, a subtle hint that he would not mind that in the least if she didn't. She felt her stomach churn unpleasantly and she huddled next to Yami with Otogi moving closer protectively.

"I think Ryou is a wonderful dancer," she told him firmly. Malik shrugged, continuing to smile.

"I would want to be paid anyway." He placed a hand on his hip and looked to Yami, snapping his fingers towards him. "Let's get this over with, Yami. I realize _you_ may have all day to fuck around, being a manic depressed pianist and everything, but I have things to deal with as you are aware. Ask her so I can figure out what my next step is going to be."

"Couldn't you be a little more discreet, Malik?" Ryou sighed.

"I'm done with subtleties," Malik flippantly dismissed, waving his hand.

Yami scowled at Malik, aggravated with his lack of tact and then turned to Anzu. She looked completely - and reasonably - lost as to what they were speaking of. He was supposed to be helping the Mazaki family reunite, not drive them further apart. Bringing up the man that had torn Sakura from Anzu and her father was the last thing he ought to do. Nonetheless, Malik was as stubborn and persistent as Kaiba when getting what he wanted. Seeing as how his own finances and career - and possibly, his life - was on the line, he would do virtually _anything_ to get the information he needed. That included seducing or harassing Anzu to an inexcusable limit, which could cause some ugly events to occur.

"What is it?" Anzu asked him when he said nothing, staring at her with a troubled expression. "Yami?"

"Malik is...close to destitute right now, Anzu," Yami slowly replied, redirecting his gaze elsewhere. He did not want to see her expression when he gave his request. "The reason for that is because a man, Jiiro Hanazawa, redirected some of his debts to Malik, who had some dealings with him. Hanazawa is..._was _the pianist your mother ran off with. Malik wants to see Sakura to get the debts taken care of." He rushed the last sentence so as to try and avert her attention from the information he had presented to her. There was a long silence and none of the other males said a word. Hesitantly, he raised his gaze to Anzu's face to see a frosty, foreign expression as she gazed down at her feet fixedly.

"What kind of a guy was he?" she queried, raising her head and looking not at Yami, but Malik.

"A sleaze," Malik admitted with a shrug, his arms folded over his chest. "Not the kind of guy I particularly like. Smart, though. Too smart in the darker matters of the world." He paused, frowning as his eyes narrowed on her shuttered expression. "I'm going to be blunt with you, girl, because I hate people that talk circles around things that happen in the world. I don't really care who knows what I've done now that my reputation is literally nothing. Hanazawa was one of the best drug lords I ever knew. Oh, he made a lot of enemies, knew how to rip people off so that they didn't realize it until later – "

"_Malik!_" Yami snapped angrily.

Ignoring him, Malik continued, "And he knew how to evade the suspicion of police when it came to needing to get rid of something. He was a good pianist, too, but in the circle of artists, a person is susceptible to any kind of shit, especially if you're famous. If you're just a small town musician or dancer, you don't get exposed to such things. Hanazawa was one of the best pianists. Yami knows what kind of people often have both musical talent and talent in that sort of environment. _Some _people – " he shot a look to Yami and Ryou " – might say I am like those kinds of people. I depend on my dancing abilities, not my abilities in the drug world."

"But that's horrifying!" Otogi exclaimed. "I always knew pop idols and actors had done this. I never expected to hear that distinguished pianists and dancers would, though."

"It's kept very hush-hush," Malik replied flippantly. "Most people don't want others to know." The smile that appeared on his lips was grim. "Seeing as how I'm just seconds away from financial ruin, I couldn't care less who knows. This seems like her business, anyway." He tilted his chin towards Anzu. "It's her mother's past-lover. Wouldn't you want to know what trash your mother has been with?"

"Shut your mouth already," Yami growled, noticeably controlling himself from strangling the blonde. "There's a reason nobody says anything about that. It could only cause harm for people who know nothing about that world and those kinds of people. You need to realize that and learn how to control your idiotic urges!"

"I see I touched a nerve." Yami's mouth thinned to a straight, white line of fury. Anzu reached out and touched his shoulder, diverting him from the smirking dancer.

"It's okay, Yami. Thank you for your concern, but he's right; this is something that I needed to know." Anzu dropped her hand and sighed, pushing a hand through her hair, her brows knitting together as she turned her eyes back to her feet musingly. She was unsettled by what Malik told her, yet not so much that she might run away screaming or start having nightmares. No, she was more confused than anything because she could not understand why her mother would have turned away from a loving husband and child for this man that was involved in business dealings of drugs.

Then again, she knew now that her mother was not what she had assumed when she was a child. She still did not know who her mother really was or what drove her. At that moment in her life, she did not want to know anything about her mother anymore after the betrayal Sakura had delivered to Anzu and her father. Vacantly, she wondered if her mother ever knew about Jiiro Hanazawa and what he was involved in. The question battered at her brain and she sighed again, harder and more irritably as she raised her head.

"You can't even be sure that she knows about these debts, Malik," she warned him.

"I just want her to take care of it with the filthy money Hanazawa passed to her," he answered. "Maybe then I can focus on fixing my reputation." Malik's eyes shifted to Ryou as he suggested, "Perhaps I should get married. Do you think that would help me any? It's not like she needs to stay around for very long. We'll get divorced in, oh, say a year? And I'll have her stay somewhere else." Ryou sent him a look of disgust. "You act as though I'm performing some heinous act, Ryou!"

"You want to use a woman just so that you can get roles in ballets again!" Ryou said, scowling. "Do you really think that I would approve of that?"

Malik's expression clearly stated that he did.

Otogi chuckled amusedly while a corner of Anzu's mouth tilted upward in a dry smile. Yami simply groaned and put his face in his hands, shaking his head as he muttered, "Why did this idiot have to come to torture me?" Anzu smiled at him and pulled his hands away, holding them briefly in hers. He simply sighed, looking at her with a reluctant smile. "I'm sorry...I know that you don't want to see her." Anzu did not say anything for a moment, looking at him thoughtfully. He wondered what it was that she saw in his face that appeared to trouble her.

"No," she said at last, "it isn't that. I just...I guess I didn't think I would have to face her so soon after discovering she was in Domino." He nodded and patted her cheek softly.

"We'll deal with it. In the meantime, I'd like for us to practice. Tchaikovsky's _Swan Lake_ is a mixture of many instruments and although I'll be playing for the auditions and the piano parts in the actual ballet, I want you to get used to other instruments playing. Thankfully, Otogi is a master at the violin and has agreed to play with me from now on until the auditions." He paused, eyeing Malik and Ryou, who had gone silent and were listening. Although he loathed to admit it, Malik _was _a good dancer and better than Ryou. "Malik...If you help until the auditions, I will pay you." The blonde's face lit up immediately. "Ryou has declined any money that I have offered him, so I won't have to worry about that." He hesitated, looking at his friend, not wanting to offend him. "I'd like you both to dance with Anzu, actually. There are going to be other dancers during the ballet, so..."

"Ah." Malik comprehended what he was saying immediately and Ryou did a moment later, looking completely unbothered. "You want me to play the prince?"

"Yes, if Ryou doesn't mind abandoning that part."

"Not at all," Ryou smoothly answered, smiling at Anzu's anxious face. "Don't worry, Anzu. Malik wouldn't dare try anything in front of us. We'd be on him faster than he could say, 'Fish.'"

"Fish?" Malik repeated blankly. "Why would I be saying fish?"

"I'm in the mood for seafood," Ryou said with a shrug.

"Malik has danced in _Swan Lake _before," Yami said, ignoring their bizarre exchange entirely, "and had the part as the prince, so you don't have to worry. I don't like saying it, but he _is _a good dancer and will be able to ease you into your part as Odette more easily than Ryou or I could. Just so long as he doesn't try to enact some unscripted parts of the ballet in a closet with you, you should be fine." Malik scowled irritably.

"Just go sit at your piano!" He snarled moodily. As Otogi situated himself a few feet from the piano, a safe distance from the dancers, Malik followed Anzu to the center of the stage. Yami called out a scene and they positioned themselves accordingly as Ryou did as well. Anzu, frankly, was not entirely comfortable dancing with Malik after the taunts Ryou and Yami had thrown at him. She kept having a horrible vision of him in a cape and a curled mustache, dragging her away and ravaging her. She almost shuddered.

But, as the music began and she was swept away into the dance, she found that she had nothing to worry about. Malik's movements were smoother than Ryou's, making him seem less like a practiced dancer and more of a natural at it. He controlled her own movements, gently setting her right, helping her in fixing her dancing without needing to stop the entire procession. As she swept herself along the stage, lifting her arms in an arc, she could hear Otogi playing the violin somewhere behind her before Malik's hands clasped her waist and lifted her up. He corrected the position of her leg without a word and she felt ashamed that she liked him as a dancer better than Ryou. Even as she danced with Malik, Ryou flitted around the stage. She knew that there would be several other dancers in the ballet and perhaps Malik saw that it disoriented her a bit, for he narrowed his eyes and called out for Yami to go to another scene.

Then things got difficult.

In this scene, Ryou moved around more and it distracted her. Malik called a stop to the music and the other males looked baffled as to why he had stopped. "In the auditions," he said to her in a none-too-kind voice, "you won't have to deal with anyone else but yourself. There are two parts to the auditions, one of which will be by yourself. The second part, for those auditioning for Odette, will be after they have decided on a man for the prince. You will have to dance with him and prove that you are adequate for the part. You won't have to worry about other people dancing onstage with you until the actual practice for the ballet, but if they think you're not good enough, that you can't dance well with others, they'll shunt you away and call the next best girl to be Odette."

"I'm trying the hardest I can!" She snapped, angered by his snooty tone.

"Your _hardest_ won't be shit when you get up there and make a fool of yourself by not focusing on you and you partner!" He returned in just as irritable of a tone. "Now, _dance_ and _ignore_ what Ryou is doing or I'm not wasting my time on you." She blinked, shocked. Ryou was frowning in disapproval, but neither he nor Yami said a word against him, which only surprised Anzu further.

Gnashing her teeth together, she turned her back on Malik and moved to the center of the stage again. Malik followed her and waved a hand at Yami once Ryou had taken place. "Dance," he ordered, his face unreadable.

X

Jounouchi sighed to himself as he approached the front door of Mai's house, Rena in his arms. The few precious moments he could get with his daughter was all that he needed to keep living his life, no matter how monotonous it may be. All he wanted was to spend as much time with her as possible, to see her smile at him. It was the retrieving her and returning her that he dreaded. Lately, though, he noticed that Mai had slowly mellowed down and was trying to be civil, just as he was. Neither of them did a fair job of it, but at least they were trying. That was enough for Jounouchi.

He wasn't blind to how Mai watched him, how she watched Rena whenever Jounouchi was around. He saw the sudden flash of pain that entered her eyes, that made the corners of her mouth tighten and her brow wrinkle. He had spent most of his adult life watching Mai's expressions, enjoying the play of emotions on her face. He still watched her face, out of habit more than anything else and he was beginning to realize that he had never seen her smile since they were divorced. There would be a half smile on her face when she watched Rena leave with him, but there was not even that when he returned Rena. He sometimes wondered if she was unhappy. He made sure never to dwell too long on that thought.

Knocking briskly, Jounouchi waited for a response. When none came, he knocked once again and this time, the door opened. Mai blinked blearily, clearing having just woken up. At one time in his life, Jounouchi had loved to see her as soon as she woke, looking tired and confused as to what had happened to her pleasant dreaming. Now, he could feel nothing when it came to her beauty. If she had ever shown her true inner beauty, he might have felt something; the inner beauty that he once was able to see: the joking, carefree wife he had been married to, the lazy woman that would lay with him on the couch and simply watch movies, the wife that had cried in joy in the delivery room when Rena was born. But he never saw any of that. Now, he only saw the depleted husk of a woman he had loved.

"Oh," she said, looking down at Rena slumbering in his arms. She sighed and he noticed the shadows beneath her eyes. How long had they been there? Were they always there or did she just now have them? He forced himself not to care. "Could you carry her upstairs? I don't want to wake her." He nodded and she ushered him inside. As he passed her, he smelled alcohol. Inside, it was silent and there had been no other cars outside. If she had been entertaining a man, she wouldn't have insisted he carry Rena upstairs.

She led him to Rena's room and pulled the covers back so that he could set her there. After removing her shoes, he pulled the covers up while Mai went to stand at the door. When he rose to his feet and looked back, Mai was standing with her arms folded beneath her breasts, a shuttered expression on her face. "Sometimes," she quietly said, "I really..." She trailed off and blinked, seeming to realize what she was saying and to whom she was speaking. Jounouchi stared at her blankly as she turned and left him standing in the middle of his daughter's room.

After a moment, he left the room and went downstairs. He heard sounds in the kitchen, of a cupboard being open and a shut, a glass being set on the table. He went to leave, his hand on the knob, turning, but halted, hesitating. He couldn't get the image of her face out of his head, her unfinished sentence that had sounded so weak and morose. Releasing the knob, he moved to the kitchen and stood lingering in the doorway, watching Mai pour herself some coffee. "You've been drinking," he said and winced at the tone of his voice, which was not at all pleasant. "I thought you quit that."

"It was just wine, Jounouchi," she responded coolly. "It's not as if I got drunk. It made me tired and I went to sleep." As if needing to prove him wrong, she jerked the refrigerator open and pointed at the Arbor wine bottle standing upright on the topmost shelf. It was mostly full. But then, Mai had always been a bit of a lush. "Alright?" She shut the fridge. "Why are you still here?" She asked after mixing sugar and creamer in her coffee.

"Listen...You don't look like you're in any condition to be looking after Rena right now." She sent him an evil, outraged look. "You look exhausted, Mai. Maybe Rena should stay with me and Shizuka for awhile. Shizuka would look after her when I'm gone." Mai seemed to have trouble controlling the urge to throw her coffee in his face, so she set her cup down carefully and drew in a deep breath.

"Jounouchi, I am perfectly capable of being a mother to Rena," she told him curtly.

"I'm not saying you're not," he said, frustrated with her lack of understanding. "You look like you've got a lot to deal with, so – " She released a bitter laugh at that. "Don't turn this into a fight, okay? I'm trying to be nice here."

"Trying to be nice...," she repeated, not even looking at him, staring at her coffee cup as if it held the answers to the universe. Jounouchi pushed his hands through his unruly blonde mop, frowning across at her. She looked even wearier than she had a moment ago. "I don't want to fight today, either, Jounouchi. I don't have the energy. I'm not in a fit state to so much as talk to you, so please...Just leave me at peace for once. I can't stand fighting with you anymore." She took a drink of her coffee, closing her eyes briefly to savor the taste. Jounouchi watched her, wondering if she believed herself to be dreaming or if she was still drunk from the wine. But it did not seem that either of those things were very likely.

"Can you deal with Rena? If not, I'm taking her home."

"Yes," she answered. "I've just had a rough night."

Without thinking, he asked, "Nightmares?" and then cursed himself a moment later. He wasn't here to be her husband. She had made it clear that she did not want him as her husband when she went off into another man's arms. But the question made her look from her coffee to him, her violet eyes softening.

"You know me too well," she commented and then raised her cup to her lips again. "Nightmares...Yes, but I was awake. The house is so cold with Rena gone. Sometimes I forget how lonely I get without her. But you don't care, of course." She took another drink of her coffee. "Please leave, Jounouchi. I want to be alone."

He obliged her, feeling unsettled by her behavior. Clearly the nightmares had been bad enough to exhaust her to a point where she was willing to open herself up a bit. He had a feeling, as he opened his car door and slid in, that she was crying inside right then. The old part of him, the part that loved her, wanted to step back inside and pull her into his arms as he used to when she was upset by something. But his heart was still deeply bruised by her treatment of him when she turned from him to sleep with another man. He could never forgive her for that and would never, ever, take her back.

X

Anzu was, generally, a Type B personality but at that moment, she was pissed. She wasn't just pissed. She was hurt and wanted to sit down and scream and cry at the same time. Malik, contrary to his flirtatious and flippant attitude before they began to dance, was harsh and brutally honest when it came to dancing. He didn't yell. She could handle yelling. Her own dance instructor had screamed when someone wasn't doing something right. No, Malik's voice was steady, his tone cold, and his eyes unfeeling. She felt the need to impress him, to wipe that look from his face, to see him smile and ease her wounded ego. His touch never changed when he guided her through the ballet and she did everything that he demanded because she did not want to hear him reprimand her in that cold, cold voice of his.

By the time they were done, he was satisfied and she was relieved. "We still have time to go to Sakura's," Otogi said, glancing at his phone for the time after he encased his violin. "Did you want to do that now, Anzu, or later?" He looked at her curiously. Anzu was watching Malik warily, as one would a viper.

"Anzu?" Yami's soothing voice broke through the fog in her mind and she looked up to see that he was standing above her where she was slumped on the stage. She smiled a bit and he held out a hand that she took gratefully. "Did you want to go today or wait until tomorrow?"

"I need to shower first. Umm...Were Otogi and Ryou coming?"

"Not me," Ryou replied. "I'm not interested in Malik's business affairs."

"Well, I don't know how you can't be!" Otogi remarked, raising his eyebrows. "I wouldn't mind seeing that bitch taken down a few steps. No offense," he added hastily after realizing he had just called Anzu's mother a bitch. She shook her head. She hardly cared what anyone called her mother. She had a few names for Sakura, as well, none of which she was comfortable enough to say aloud in front of people who had never heard her curse before.

"Let's head to Anzu's first, then," Malik suggested, stretching his arms above him lazily. "We'll wait for her to shower and then head to Sakura's." He paused, frowning. "Wait. Do we even know exactly where she lives?"

"Not at the moment," Anzu said, "but I know who sold her the house. I'll call her after I get out of the shower, but can we please go now?" The males followed her out of the opera house after gathering their things and Ryou waved at them as he went one way and they went another.

Once they arrived at Anzu's apartment, the sun was beginning to lower in the sky, nearly touching the horizon. Anzu assured them that she would drive, something that made Yami pale significantly after being in the car with her once. She glared at him, daring him to say anything about how she drove. He wisely remained quiet. She left to the bathroom, gathering clothes to change into while they remained in her living room. It was clear by the sparse furniture that she practiced her dancing there.

The couch was small, but comfortable, and Malik lounged there while Otogi moved to the sliding doors that opened out onto a balcony. Yami joined him there, leaning on the railing and releasing a sigh. "This is going to complicate your plans a bit," Otogi remarked. Yami knew without asking what it was that Otogi was speaking of. "I don't think that Anzu and her father would have been kind towards Sakura anyway, especially now that she knows just what kind of guy her mother ran off with."

Yami shook his head slightly. "Sakura might not even know about Hanazawa."

"Being with him that long?" Otogi asked doubtfully. "She had to have suspected something, at the very least. This entire situation contains too much damn drama. I never thought the world of pianists had so much dirty money passing from hand to hand. I knew something went on with dancers – most of them take drugs to stay thin and are literally anorexic." He paused. "By the way, do you think that Anzu could be denied the part of Odette because of her weight? Malik seemed to have no trouble with lifting her up, but she does seem a bit big boned and has, um..." Yami rolled his eyes, disgusted. "What? It's not like I go around staring at that! You can't tell me that you don't notice!" Yami pointedly ignored the question, his face turning a bit pink, unwilling to reply that yes, he _had _noticed that the dancer and her curvaceous body. He suspected he, more than Otogi.

After a long while, the two of them simply stared out at Domino City before Anzu called, "Alright, let's get going!" with Malik making a snide comment of, "The lovers are having a special moment of watching the sunset together. You shouldn't interrupt them." Otogi and Yami whipped around at Malik's words. He merely grinned back at them. Anzu hustled all of them out of the apartment, saying that she had already called Mai while she was in the bathroom. Her hair was still wet, her bangs spiking over her forehead, the rest of her hair pulled up in a bun.

Yami, as her accompanist, was given front seat, which Malik grumbled about. He once again had to enjoy her driving and clutched at his seatbelt, his eyes popping out every time she made a sharp turn. The colour was rapidly fading from his face as Malik whooped from the backseat and encouraged her to drive a Dodge Ram off the road with her tiny car. Otogi kept making thumping noises on the floor behind Yami, trying to use a brake that didn't exist. Yami decided that he would have to teach Anzu how to drive better than this or else let him drive anytime they were going somewhere.

They arrived at the house in no time and Yami fumbled at the door, shoving at it so that he could get out of the car. His stomach churned anxiously, from the car ride and the meeting that was about to unfold. Anzu pulled her purse up her shoulder more firmly, her mouth set in a straight, determined line. Trying to forget her chaotic driving, he reached over as she neared him and took her hand in his gently. She turned to him, her lips curving upward. "I'm right here for you," he quietly reassured.

"I know," she answered.

With that, they moved up the sidewalk to the door, with Yami respectfully falling behind Anzu and Malik to walk beside Otogi. Malik knocked on the door briskly and waited impatiently while the light began to fade from the sky, softening into an evening blue. As he moved to knock again, the door swung open to reveal Sakura Mazaki on the threshold, surveying her visitors mildly, her eyes lingering on Anzu for a long moment. When she spoke, she looked at Anzu, not Malik. "Can I help you?"

"You can help me," Malik stated. "I believe you owe me some money since your lover skived off and thought it would be amusing to give me his debts."

"Did he?"

"Yes, and I'm not paying them, so I suggest you pay them for me or this is going to turn into a very gloomy relationship you and I are about to have."

Sakura was completely unfazed by his threats, staring him in the face and calmly saying, "No."

"Excuse me?" Malik's lavender eyes narrowed warningly.

"I'm not giving you any money. You're a liar and a cheat."

"No, Hanazawa was the liar and cheater. As for you, you just pissed me off, lady."

Yami glanced up at the sky. It was getting dark too fast for his liking. Sakura obviously knew who Malik was and had no intention on helping them. The lover of a well-known drug dealer and pianist could have any sorts of weapons and schemes at her disposal. This could make things difficult.

"Mother," Anzu suddenly interjected, stepping in front of Malik, "if you don't give him the money, you're more of a cheater than you already are. And it's pretty high of you to call him a liar when you've lied your entire life."

_Correction_, Yami thought, seeing the shocked look on Sakura's face, _things just now got as difficult as they could possibly be._

X

DIS: Wahh...Another cliffhanger. I couldn't help myself. Well, I pretty much pounded out this chapter the same day that I worked on another story because I just _had _to get it written. The auditions are looming closer! Perhaps next chapter will be longer, I haven't a clue yet. In the meantime, please leave a review, telling me if you liked it and/or if you have any suggestions. Ciao!


	19. One step forward, ten steps back

DIS: **Thanks to everyone who reviewed** and again, I apologize for all the bloody cliffhangers. They kill me as much as they kill you. Also, to those who feel that Malik doesn't blend with the story – no, he definitely does not, but he's necessary for this part of the story and he will be crucial to the plot later on after the auditions and everything else. For those are wishing he was out of the story, he _will_ disappear for a short while to reappear, though I do not anticipate him to remain very long. He's just one of those characters that are important for certain aspects of the story. In any case, he's here to stay. With that said, enjoy the nineteenth chapter!

X

_Chapter Nineteen, One step forward, ten steps back_

The air was thick with tension. Malik, looming a few inches above Anzu, glanced from her to Sakura, his brow furrowing in slight concern. She did not even bother to look at him, staring steadily at Sakura with a cold, detached expression. It was one that was foreign on Anzu's usually warm, lively face. Otogi seemed uncomfortable, shifting foot to foot. The silence after Anzu's rather harsh observation had extended to a painful amount of time. Sakura did not have the control that her daughter did, her face contorting in hurt. She seemed to want to say something, but was unable to voice the words. When neither Otogi nor Malik made any actions, both apparently stunned by Anzu's behavior, Yami moved forward and gently clasped Anzu's wrist. She willingly turned towards him, her face softening a bit when facing him. "Let's take care of Malik's problem first, Anzu," he suggested quietly, raising his other hand to cover her hand. She looked down at their hands and raised her face back to his, nodding. "Good..." He glanced at Sakura, who reigned in her emotions and stepped away from the door to allow them entry.

They trooped into the house, Malik sending the woman a menacing sneer that she pointedly ignored. Once the door was shut behind them, she ushered them into the den and settled on the couch whilst they remained standing. "You are not getting that money, Ishtar," she informed Malik without looking at him. "I don't have any interest in you. The only person I want to talk to is my daughter."

"Well, sad to say, but she doesn't want to talk to the lover of a reputed drug lord," Malik snapped in return.

"Anzu didn't come here to talk to you, Sakura," Yami spoke up before Malik lost his temper more than he already had. "She came here so that you would open your doors to Malik to allow negotiations. If you knew anything about Hanazawa – or if he was as close to you as I assume – than you know the rules as well as I do." He folded his arms over his chest, his mouth twisting in distaste. Yami disliked thinking about his life before his career as a pianist, and before he was able to escape the clutches of his parent's. Otogi and Anzu were clueless as to what he was speaking of, something he had not yet decided whether was a good thing or not. Malik, however, was silent and surrendering the reigns to the conversation. He was good at manipulating women, so long as he was in control. As it was, Sakura had complete control of this situation unless Anzu decided to speak again. Then it would be the daughter who would be doing the manipulating rather than Sakura.

"I'm not part of that society that Jiiro was so involved in," Sakura replied in an aloof manner that only made Malik scowl at her. Yami was certain he saw Otogi roll his eyes towards Malik and mouth something to him. His suspicions were confirmed when the blonde smirked widely, amused. "I only inherited what he gave me. And you inherited what he gave you, Ishtar." She turned her gaze from the males to fixate on her ever-silent daughter. "Nothing you say will make me give him that money, Anzu. You don't understand the world that he lives in, the rules that he lives by – "

"But I do," Yami interrupted sharply, "and better than anyone else in this room."

"Because of your worthless parents?" Sakura returned angrily.

"Enough!" Anzu raised her voice above her mother's in a slight scream. Everyone turned to look at her and Sakura shrunk back a bit at the enraged fire spitting from Anzu's eyes. "You'll not speak to him that way, mother, let alone his parents. I don't care if it's true or not, but you've no place to be talking about what worth another person's parents are when you abandoned me and father for some man that, from what I've learned so far, is absolutely horrible. Yami is right. The only reason I came here was to help Malik. If you're not going to give him his money, then fine, but I'll never speak to you as if you're my mother because _you're not_."

"How can you say that to me...?" She whispered, her expression crumbling as she raised her hands to her throat, distraught. "I did everything I could for you. Would you have preferred that I suffer, Anzu? Suffer and love a man from afar? You never met Jiiro! You would trust what these men have to say? I would never lie to you – "

"You lied all the time!! You lied to me and to papa and you didn't ever give a damn who you hurt!" Anzu exploded abruptly. "And then you just _show up_ and think that everything's going to be alright, that I'll talk with you and I'll love you like I used to? Just because you gave birth to me and were my mom as a child doesn't mean anything to me! You've betrayed the love and trust I had in you! I'm not going to be lied to again, to get stabbed in the heart and hurt. Papa and I suffered for _years_ and all you have to say is that you want to 'talk' to us!!"

"Anzu, calm down," Yami said, raising a hand and hesitantly placing it on her shoulder. After the initial rage, her angry breaths turned into deep, heaving sobs. "Don't cry...Hush." She covered her face, weeping, as he pulled her against him. He flashed a glare at Sakura. She did not even acknowledge it, staring at the ground. Malik appeared uncomfortable, as though he had personally beaten upon Anzu's emotions and caused her tears. "Come outside for a moment. Come on." He pulled her out of the house so that she would not have to be in the same room as Sakura. "Don't let him cause problems, Otogi," he added to his friend, nodding his head towards Malik. Otogi glanced uncertainly at Anzu, but Yami gave his head a firm shake and left the house, shutting the door quietly behind them. The sun had faded from the sky and it was gradually turning into a dark, midnight blue. He settled Anzu on the porch next to him and let her cry in his shoulder, something he knew she needed to do right then. He kept an arm around her shoulders comfortingly, but did not do much more than that; he doubted she was comfortable enough to accept anything else from him.

"I am...so sorry, Yami," she muttered weakly, pulling away and wiping her eyes. He kept a hand on her shoulder, peering at her face in concern. "I always seem to break down on you. I haven't even paid you for being my accompanist. How terrible am I? You might as well be my own personal box of tissues..." She sniffled while he smiled at her feeble attempt at a joke.

"Anzu, it's okay. I like to think that we're friends. If I'm allowed to sulk around my friends and annoy them, you're allowed to cry all over me. Besides that, I _expected_ you to get upset today. I would have tried to stop you, but Malik insisted and so did you. I know better than to try and stop two stubborn asses from getting what they want." He gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry. We'll get through this."

"Malik has to get his money or he'll be ruined," she mumbled. "And he's such a beautiful dancer, too."

"We'll deal with everything. One thing at a time, though." He stood up and Anzu sat on the porch, staring ahead of her morosely. He tapped her head with his knuckles and when she tipped her head back in confusion, he proffered a hand. "I know you're stronger than this, Anzu, so let's go in and show her that side of you." He smiled warmly. "Okay?" Her face cleared and she took his hand, rising to her feet unsteadily, returning his smile with a genuine one of her own.

"Yeah, let's do it."

X

Sakura felt Malik Ishtar glaring daggers into her; she didn't care. He was the last of her concerns. The third male, the one whose name she did not know, was staring at her with just a little less malice and with a good deal of disapproval. He, too, was not a problem for which she was interested in worrying about. It was her daughter whom her mind was on. To hear those words thrown at her in such righteous fury tore at Sakura's heart. Every word, every sentence she knew was true. Even at that moment she felt the daggers driving into her heart, causing it to writhe with guilt. She wanted to justify that nothing mattered but love, not even family, yet she knew that was not so. She had felt an enormous amount of remorse when she chose Jiiro Hanazawa over her husband and daughter. Throughout the years, she continued to wonder if she made the right decision. After the encounter with Anzu, she knew that she made the wrong decision.

_And what about Yami Mutou?_ she mused. _Every time either she or Ishtar got out of hand, he always cut in and took control so easily and they let him. Anzu turned to him when she was crying and let him take her outside. He is from the same world that Jiiro is from, so why does she accept him but will not accept Jiiro? She called my love horrible...How can she say that to me? I am still mourning his loss. I might regret leaving my family, but I still loved Jiiro more than anything in my life. Doesn't she understand what I feel? Doesn't she love Yami the same way that I love Jiiro? She acts like it. _The door opened and she raised her eyes from the coffee table she had been staring fixedly at to look Anzu and Yami. _Or...does she not realize that she loves him? Does he love her? _Sakura wanted to swing into action, to lecture Yami and to ask Anzu questions, to act like, well, a mother. Of course, that was quite impossible with how her relationship with both of them was, if there even was a relationship. She supposed hatred could be considered a type of relationship.

Anzu slowly walked towards her and Yami did not follow. She halted in front of the coffee table, staring down at Sakura with only the wood table separating them. They looked uncannily alike with their physical traits. They both had wide eyes and the same lustrous, chocolate coloured hair. Yet, they were also entirely different. While Anzu's features were set in soft, smooth angles, suggesting at her trustworthy character, Sakura's face was all hard angles. Age and life had caused her skin to form lines and her overall countenance seemed weary whereas Anzu was quite ready to bounce back and fight. "You will give Malik his money."

"Is that an order?" Sakura asked. "You can think of me however you want, Anzu, but giving out orders to me as though I am your child – "

"You act like a child," Malik grunted, "with your fanciful notions of _love_. Watched too many Disney movies, have you?"

"Do you suppose she sings?" Otogi contemplatively asked.

"Don't know. I wonder if she's tone deaf. Singing about love would be funny, but bad singing would make it even better." They might have gone on if Yami hadn't shot them a warning look. Sakura, meanwhile, had tightened her hands into fists in the skirt she was wearing, trying to ignore their remarks and the stinging behind her eyes. If it had just been her and Anzu facing off without the three men at the sidelines, perhaps she might be able to do something about this entire situation. But they were there and watching her like a hawk, ready to swoop in and protect Anzu if need be. They saw Sakura as nothing better than the scum of the earth, an adulterous woman who left her family to fend for themselves.

And she felt like scum right then.

"It isn't your money," Anzu said, as though the conversation between the two men had not even happened. "You have no right to keep it from him. If he had done something wrong to Hanazawa, then maybe I could understand for him putting his debts on Malik's doorstep. But he didn't and now he's on the road to being homeless and I can't let you do that to him. He has so much talent and has helped me so much. The least I can do is help him."

"It's none of your business what happens in his life."

"It is so when he comes to me, asking for me to take him to you! Stop being so childish! What could you possibly need that money for, mother? To get yourself another drug lord husband so you can get even more money?" Sakura's face paled in horror at the very thought. "Stop lying for him. He's dead. Malik just wants to get rid of those debts."

"Then he can get a job and pay them off himself."

"I can't get a job because my dealings with Hanazawa got out to the public, you old bag!" Malik snarled petulantly. "If I had a job, I wouldn't give a fuck!" Sakura said nothing to this, unwilling to listen to them. Her gaze was focused on Anzu. Her daughter's body gave no indication that she was readying herself for defeat. If anything, Anzu appeared as though she were scheming something in her mind, readying herself for another attack at Sakura's conscience. This was something the elder female of the two could not allow. Already her resolve was breaking. She would be willing to do anything for Jiiro, but now that her life that she had with Seiji and the life she had with him were blurring, overlapping each other, she was not so sure she would sacrifice so much for Jiiro anymore. She could deny Seiji more easily than she could Anzu. Anzu was her daughter, the one jewel that had glimmered in her life, even when she never saw her.

"You've already ruined two lives," Anzu said in the utter silence of the room, her eyes dark and unreadable. "Could you handle destroying another?"

"How many lives do you think he has ruined?" she retorted, thrusting a finger towards Malik without looking at him. "Do you know of his infamous reputation for breaking hearts or did your beloved pianist fail to tell you all of that?" She then pointed her finger towards Yami. She expected him to say something to defend himself, but Yami did not so much as move to deny her claim. Anzu was also unmoving, either because she did not care or she did not believe her, Sakura was unsure. Lowering her arm, Sakura folded her hands in her lap again and coldly said, "I agree that Malik is a good dancer – one of the best – but he went around sleeping with any and every woman that he was interested in, even the dancers that he was teaching. They fell in love with him and he threw them aside like toys. They were devastated. How do you think their lives went from then on? Do you think they could ever trust a man after being so thoroughly used and deceived by him?"

"But were they good dancers?"

Taken aback, Sakura stared at her. "What does it matter?"

"Other men have done that, too. Malik is just another out of the million on this planet. I don't even need you to answer my question," Anzu added with a frown, "because I know how wonderful of a teacher he is. If he did poorly, if he had nothing to offer to the world of art, then I wouldn't insist upon this. I'm confident that he can pick things up after he gets rid of these debts, but he's so focused on them that he can do nothing about everything else, so please just give him the money that he needs so that he can continue with his life. If not, then you're worse than Hanazawa."

"You don't know what he was like outside of that society," Sakura said, desperate to defend the man that she still loved. "You don't understand what drove him, why he did what he did. It wasn't for evil reasons. Just because he was good at it means nothing." Her eyes slid suggestively to Yami. She knew that if she attacked him again, Anzu would get upset. He was a perfect example, though, in comparing Jiiro to those of the society that enjoyed the doings of the drug world of so-called artists.

As if Anzu knew where her thoughts lied, she told her mother in a flat, warning voice, "I trust Yami."

"He is just like Jiiro, Anzu, something that you may not want to admit."

"Yami," Anzu said in a deliberate, slow tone, "would not have allowed another man's wife to up and leave her family with no warning." Sakura stared at her and then rose to her feet, looking at each of the four people in her living room. Her gaze halted on Anzu, lingering there as she drank in the sight of her daughter. She felt as though she were in a remote, foreign place where she knew not the people, nor the language. Those eyes that pierced her made her entire being shrink into nothing and her heart shrivel into a dried husk. It was not only anger and cold determination in Anzu's eyes, but a raw hurt that Sakura knew had been there for many years; it was a pain that Sakura had caused by ripping through her daughter's life when she was a mere child.

"I want to have you as a daughter again, Anzu," she murmured, "Just...let me try and be your mother again. Let me _try_, at the very least."

"I don't – "

"Wait," Yami spoke up, taking a few steps towards Anzu and putting a hand on the small of her back. She turned, startled by his interruption. "Hold for a moment, Anzu." He turned to look at Sakura. "If Anzu were to do this, would you give Malik the money that he needs and take care of these debts for him? Surely you have some knowledge of whom they are for."

"I was left with all the existing business arrangements of Jiiro's," she confirmed. "I want only a chance and then I will give him the money that is needed. If they fail to drop it, I will speak with them personally. They wouldn't dare to deny me what I wish."

"Hmm. You sound quite certain of this, so I'll believe you." He turned his attention back to Anzu, who was watching this with an expression of disbelief. "I know that this isn't what you expected, but it's become clear that this is the only way that we can conclude these matters, Anzu. Allow her this one thing. It is small compared to some of the greater things she could have asked." For a moment, she appeared that she might argue with him and then looked to Malik uncertainly. He blinked when her eyes touched his.

"It's up to you," he grumbled after a pause. "I'm not going to force you to do something that you don't want to do."

"No...," Anzu murmured, her shoulders slumping in resignation. "Yami's right." She closed her eyes tight for a moment and then said, "Alright, mother...I'll do this, but not for you – for Malik."

The conditions in which Sakura would be able to speak and be with her daughter were not the ones she had been hoping for, yet she knew they were the most that she would be allowed at the present. With an inwardly relieved sigh, she nodded and moved into the kitchen to retrieve her purse. She paused as she turned to return to the den, staring at the picture that was propped on the shelf above the sink. The window above the shelf showed that it was dark outside, the streetlight's orange glow shedding light to the street outside. It was empty safe for a few teenagers skateboarding, chattering to each other. She took the picture and returned to the den with both things in her hand. Yami raised his gaze to her as soon as she entered, drifting down to the photograph in her hand.

"I know you don't care, but this is a picture of Jiiro and I," Sakura said, holding it out to her daughter. Anzu stared at the framed picture and then took it from her, looking down at it. "I loved both your father and him, Anzu. I won't lie to you any longer, much less about this. I regretted leaving you and Seiji. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. But...I don't regret loving Jiiro. He never truly had a woman that he could love and trust. He needed me more than Seiji did."

"He's not what I expected," Anzu confessed quietly after a thorough inspection of the photograph, handing it back to Sakura.

"It was a more sophisticated drug society that Jiiro and I belonged to," Malik explained to her. "Those in it rarely ever looked like they were involved in those kinds of things."

"Were there only certain types that were allowed in it?" Otogi asked him curiously.

"It wasn't that," Sakura responded for Malik, settling on the couch as she wrote out separate checks for each person to whom the debt was owed. "With this society, you couldn't simply go searching for it. If you found it, it was always on accident and you have only two choices once you are aware of it: you either enter this drug society or you don't live to tell others."

"When my dealings in the society were spread to the public, they never mentioned who these dealings were with because it wasn't allowed," Malik added with a black scowl.

"So...Wait." Otogi frowned in puzzlement. "Does that mean...?"

"The drug society of us artists is ruled by a strict code that all must obey," Yami said in his soft, deep voice. Sakura paused in writing the last check, raising her eyes to him. He had been silent about his involvement in the society up until now. "If you do not obey it, you're taken care of and the business is cleaned up very quietly and efficiently. You can leave the society after you fulfill your quota, but you are always remembered and if you go off telling people outside the society, they will always know. Even outside, you have to play by the rules they have set up. There is no way of escaping it."

"No," Malik agreed, looking off to the side, "there isn't."

A long silence fell over the room. Anzu and Otogi exchanged worried looks. Neither of them understood the complex ways of the underworld of those involved in the arts. Sakura seemed to feel that it was time to get them out of her house and hastily wrote the last check and handed them to Anzu. She took them and glanced at the amount, raising her eyebrows in surprise. She had not realized the debt was so much. Sakura closed her checkbook and tucked it in her purse, rising to her feet. "I will visit you at the opera house," she told her, "and we can go out to lunch. I want to explain everything to you privately, even if it makes no difference." Sakura hesitated and then brushed her hand over Anzu's. "I know you don't believe me, but I love you, Anzu. I've never forgotten you."

"We need to go," Yami abruptly said, feeling Anzu's body quake from the tender words.

Sakura nodded and herded them out the door, shutting the door firmly behind them. Yami heard the lock click into place behind them. Malik snorted in disgust at the gesture. She obviously did not care for their presence any longer. The four of them moved to the car and while Malik and Otogi clamored into the back, Yami stopped Anzu outside the passenger door and held a hand out. Her face was drawn with weariness and he knew the meeting with her mother had drained her. She stared at him blankly, not understanding what it was that he wanted. "You're tired," he informed her plainly, "and as I fear your driving when you're awake, I would feel safer driving if you don't mind." She smiled at his joke and ignored his hand, hugging him. Surprised, he drew his arms around her, querying, "Anzu?"

"Thank you for being here for me, Yami," she whispered. Yami gave a slight smile and rested his cheek against her head briefly.

"You're welcome." He pulled away and she dug in her purse, retrieving her keys and handing them to him. He opened the door for her and after she was safely inside, he closed it and continued to the driver's seat. When he was situated and had made his adjustments, Malik made a rude remark on Yami's driving, muttering about how he preferred Anzu's. Yami chose not to say that the only reason that might have been would be because Malik's was even worse than Anzu's. Anzu turned around and handed Malik his checks, which he took with a grateful smile. Yami frowned thoughtfully and asked, "Anzu, would you mind if I made a stop before going to the opera house?"

"Oh, sure."

"Let me just call him to make certain of where he is..." Yami took out his cell phone and dialed a phone number as he put the key in the ignition and turned it. The car obligingly came to life, humming smoothly as it awaited his next action. After the third ring, the person on the other line of the phone answered. "Where are you?" he asked without greeting.

"How rude," came the sarcastic drawl of Seto Kaiba. "Not up to your usual politeness, I see." Yami's face twisted into an irritated scowl. "I'm at my company at the moment. Do you need directions?" There was a fairly short list of things that Yami liked about Kaiba, but out of all of them, the one that he appreciated the most was that Kaiba tended not to ask questions over the phone or when he assumed a person might be in a hurry. Yami suspected it was because Kaiba, himself, disliked when people did that. As a rather serious and overall respected CEO, Kaiba supplied the same amenities to others as he expected to be given to him. "It's in the inner city."

"I'm aware of where it is," Yami replied, "but you'll have to authorize my entrance at the gate."

"Fine. But be quick about getting here." At that, he hung up without a farewell, as per usual. Yami hung up and gave an apologetic smile to Anzu.

"We're going to have to go into the inner city. Do you mind?" She shook her head.

"That's fine."

Malik and Otogi were sending him blatant questioning looks and he ignored both of them. He would explain later. For now, he needed to get downtown. He pulled into the street and drove out of the peaceful neighborhood in which Sakura lived. The drive was longer than he would have liked, even when he took the freeway. Anzu fell asleep, her head resting on the window. The drive through downtown Domino was complicated, but Yami knew his way through it. He had been to Kaiba's company here enough that he was able to navigate his way through the inner city. Otogi leaned forward as they approached the gates of Kaiba Corporation, letting out a low whistle. "It's the tallest building in all of Domino," Yami said to him as he stopped in the front of the gates. He rolled down his window as the security guard approached the car. "Yami Mutou. Kaiba is expecting me."

"I'll need to see some ID to confirm that, sir," he said. Yami took out his wallet and showed him his license. The man took it and then nodded. "Thank you." He stepped away and moved aside, gesturing to the other guard as Yami rolled his window up. There was an unpleasant buzzing akin to that of a mental institution before the gates slid back to allow him entrance. Yami drove through and parked nearest to the front of the building, turning the car off and removing the keys. He turned back and said to Otogi, "Would you mind staying in the car with Anzu?"

"Sure," Otogi answered. "I've had enough of Kaiba for a lifetime, anyway." He grinned at Yami's dry expression, a good indication that he was of the same mind.

"And what of me?" Malik asked warily, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I want you to come inside with me. Bring the checks, too, and stop swearing," he added as Malik released a particularly foul epithet. However, despite Malik's clear reluctance to meet with Kaiba, he exited the car and went to the massive building with Yami. He had folded and tucked the checks in his back pocket, shoving his hands in his pockets and following Yami through the lobby. The woman at the front desk did not even raise her eyes to them. It was a given that if they had made it through the gate, they were welcome here. They went to the elevator and Yami punched in the highest floor number. Malik leaned against the wall, his shoulders hunched sullenly. "I know you and Kaiba hate each other," Yami said, "but he'll be able to help us."

"Help us _what?_" Malik demanded, tugging his hands out of his pockets and making a wild gesture with his hands. "We've got the checks. All I have to do is transfer them to the bank accounts of the men."

"Is that how they said they wanted them delivered? How are they going to know it was you?"

"The bank keeps track of the transactions and who it is from. They're not going to pay attention to what bank account the money is from, but who sent the checks. They'll know that is was me and it'll be done and over with, so why the hell would we need to talk to Kaiba?"

The elevator came a stop, the doors gliding open. Yami sighed, "You'll see," and exited the elevator. Malik frowned but also stepped out of the elevator. The secretary here turned from the computer and glared at them menacingly. "I'm here to see Kaiba. He knows that I was coming. My name is Yami Mutou." She turned from him and picked up her phone, dialing in four numbers and announcing him into the phone before hanging up.

"Through that door, then," she told them, returning to her computer, the clack of her fingers hitting the keyboard the only sound in the waiting room. Yami moved towards the door and opened it, entering. Malik shut the door behind him, moving to stand beside Yami with the same sullen expression on his face as before. Yami almost rolled his eyes at his pouting. At the desk that was situated in front of a long wall of windows that looked out to the parking lot in front of the building and across the city, Kaiba was settled comfortably in his chair. His elbow was propped on the arm of his chair, resting his cheek lightly against the top of his knuckles. He eyed Malik, his eyes darkening. Yami glanced between the two. They did not hold the respectful hatred that Yami and Kaiba did, but a blazing, furious hatred, something that Yami was still uncertain of the origins.

"I was unaware you were in Domino," Kaiba coolly said to Malik.

"Is that right?" Malik drawled, giving a cocky smirk. "Interestingly enough, I _did_ know you were here. I was hoping to avoid you, though." His smirk dropped into an unhappy frown. "Unfortunately, things never seem to go my way when Yami is involved. Can we get this shit over with already, Yami? If I had known we were coming here, I wouldn't have a decent mood to be ruined."

"It's those checks Sakura gave you," Yami told him. "I wanted Kaiba to make sure that they wouldn't bounce since he has resources that we don't. I didn't want Anzu to go through unnecessary hurt in case the woman did something else with the money that we don't know about. And, because of my soft heart, I didn't want you to get shot because those men didn't get their money."

"How kind of you," Malik said, mockingly putting a hand on his heart. "I think I might be in love." Yami rolled his eyes as Kaiba observed this with a sharp gaze. Yami knew that he had picked up on Sakura's name, something that could prove problematic if he decided to speak about the mission Kaiba have given him. Yami trusted Malik only to a certain point; he didn't want him meddling in this matter, knowing that Malik's methods were not all that successful when it came to families.

"Hmm..." Kaiba opened a drawer abruptly and dug a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out. "Let me see the checks," he said as he lit a cigarette and tossed both things back in the drawer, snapping it closed. Malik took them out of his pocket and approached the desk, handing them to the CEO. Kaiba took them and smoothed the first out. With a few clicks of his mouse, he was typing on the computer, even more rapidly than his secretary had been. After a moment, he frowned and pulled his ashtray towards him and tapped his cigarette against the edge before pressing it between his lips again. "The woman has more money than I would have expected," he said.

"What does that mean for me?" Malik asked. Kaiba sat back in his chair, taking a drag of his cigarette and exhaling through his nose.

"What do you think, you idiot? Your checks won't bounce, but let me make sure that these are valid checks that she made out to you. You won't have a problem with the money, but if the checks are fake, you're going to have more problems than them bouncing back." He leaned forward again, his cigarette placed in his fingers, tapping in numbers from each of the checks and making a few clicks with his mouse. "Hm."

"What?" Malik leaned over the desk anxiously. Kaiba sent him an annoyed look, moving to the side. He raised his cigarette and Malik jerked back, glaring at him. Kaiba's lips curled in a malicious smirk as he took another drag from his cigarette. Yami merely raised an eyebrow at Kaiba in some surprise. It didn't take a genius to know that he was preparing to stick the end of his cigarette somewhere to burn Malik. He hadn't imagined Kaiba to be so...violent, if that were the word to be used to describe such an action.

"Everything's clear," Kaiba said, smashing his cigarette in the ashtray and then typing something. "Even with as much money as these checks are, it's not even going to make a dent in her funds. Hanazawa was clearly an expert at what he did to have been able to leave her this much money or else she was involved herself."

"That's not possible," Yami told him with a shake of his head.

"No?" was Kaiba's reply. "I disagree. No man working in that world can make this much money, Yami, not even if he had done it all his life. _That_ is what is not possible. If he _and _her had been doing it, though, it would explain why she has so much money unless there was another lover that no one knew about." He met Yami's eyes and although his expression did not change, there was a grim look in his eyes that showed that he knew something but was unwilling to share it with Malik. The blonde male in question had straightened and was staring out the window vacantly, seeming to deliberate over what Kaiba had said.

"Sakura knew about Hanazawa's dealings while he was alive," Malik suddenly said in a musing manner. "She implied that he trusted her more than anyone else. If that's true, he would have told her everything he did, who he did it to, and why he did it. She was inadvertently involved herself. Most of the women in the drug world get their money from seducing men, making the men fall in love with them. So, consider this." His eyes snapped to Yami and Kaiba, both of whom were listening intently. "What if he used her to gather money from men? Once they gave their money to her, to win her over or prove that their affection for her was in earnest, Hanazawa could have easily eliminated them."

"That's what I believe she did," Kaiba concurred.

"She loved Hanazawa enough that she wouldn't have had willingly had another lover," Malik continued, looking to Yami. "But if he requested that she do it for him, she would have slept with countless men to win them over. There's no other explanation, Yami."

"I know," Yami murmured, his expression troubled, "but I'm afraid that would only cause Anzu to hate her even more."

"Who gives a rat's ass about her liking that bitch? The way she was talking today, I would have thought you would want to tear her to shreds!"

"It's an arrangement that Yami and I have that causes him to want Anzu to make up with her mother," Kaiba answered before Yami was able to even consider upon whether he wished to tell Malik the truth or not. "Hanazawa wanted her to return to her family so that she wouldn't be alone. That a man could devote so much to as senseless of a woman as she is beyond me." He pushed his elbows onto the top of his desk, making a steeple of his fingers by intertwining them, surveying Malik and Yami thoughtfully. "I don't care what happens in that woman's life," he said at last, "but I can see that you're getting emotionally involved with this girl, Yami, and although I don't care for her headstrong attitude, I believe it would be more..._prudent_ if I were the one to give her the facts of this affair."

"What are you saying?" Yami murmured in query, an uneasy feeling stirring in the pit of his belly.

"I'm saying that you can deal with getting her and her mother together, but I'm going to explain things to her." Yami opened his mouth in protest, but Kaiba interrupted, snapping, "Don't fuck with me, Yami, because we both know that I'm not someone you want to piss off. You care too much for her and are going to water down everything so that it doesn't seem like such a bad thing. I know how you act when you get attached to someone." He dropped his hands and pushed away from the desk, standing up and succeeding in sneering haughtily down at them. "I'm not going to argue this point. You can come with her when I talk to her, but don't try and make things seem less than they are. Now, I have better things to do than argue with you two."

"Hey! What about my checks?" Malik said as Kaiba gathered them and set them aside.

"I'll take care of them for you. Don't give me that look, Ishtar," he said as an outraged expression covered Malik's face. "I might be a prick, but I'm an honest businessman. I don't need your money. You can trust me in these matters more than you can a stranger."

"Let him do it, Malik," Yami said with a sigh, knowing that there was no way they could overrule Kaiba in either matter. Malik glowered, but let it drop. Kaiba followed them to the door. Yami was frustrated that Kaiba did not trust him enough to be able to convey the information to Anzu accurately, but knew in spite of himself that he was right. Yami _would_ soften the facts and while Kaiba would not be rude about it by adding his own commentary, he would omit nothing and tell it as he knew it. He was accustomed to doing things that way, the only reason that Yami was allowing him to take care of this part. He also knew that Anzu would believe him, even if their initial meeting had been unpleasant. Unlike most businessmen, who gave off the feeling of deceit, Kaiba had a direct way of doing and saying things that made a person believe him. To his knowledge, Kaiba had never told a lie to those of less rank than him; it had always been those in his own class to whom he lied.

He was, as he had stated before, an honest businessman to the common people.

"Yami," Kaiba said, causing the pianist to pause. Malik continued forward to the elevator, as though sensing that they needed to speak alone. "You told me that Anzu Mazaki was not your girlfriend, only that you were her accompanist."

"We're not dating."

"I would suggest you consider very _carefully_ over what you're getting yourself involved in. Men that get involved with business associates...Their lives rarely ever turn out well, especially when you both have problems that are unresolved, family and otherwise."

"You're giving me romantic advice?"

"No," Kaiba calmly answered, "I'm giving you _business_ advice. Life is a business that you directly influence. You apparently have yet to realize that." Yami blinked as Kaiba shut the door in his face, leaving him staring at the door with a touch of confusion. Sighing through his nostrils, he turned and joined Malik at the elevator.

"I really hate him," was all Malik offered for conversation.

X

Anzu stepped out of the car, a bit more refreshed from her nap. She had woken as soon as Malik and Yami returned from inside Kaiba Corp. They had been unusually grim-faced, but neither she nor Otogi questioned them. She suspected that Otogi, like herself, was beginning to see that there was a wide, dividing line between their own lives and Yami and Malik's. Even though she was secretly intrigued by her mother's suggestions as to what sort of things Yami was involved in the past, she chose not to press him because she could see that it was something of which he was proud or comfortable speaking about. When they had dropped Malik off, she waved goodbye to him and he had returned her wave, promising to continue with their tutoring tomorrow afternoon.

Once at the opera house, she got out of the car, letting Yami leave the keys inside. Otogi bid them farewell and drove off in his own car. Yami remained near her car, a small smile touching his lips. "A bit too much happened today, I think," he commented, sighing as he closed his eyes and hung his head back. She said nothing, listening to the play of sounds around them: cars rolling through the streets somewhere nearby and distant club music from the entertainment district of town, only a few blocks from the opera house. He dropped his head back and looked to her with a smile. She returned it a bit uncertainly. She was still reeling from her meeting with Sakura, trying to forget everything about it. "It will get better, Anzu," he assured her. "Just focus on your dancing. Right now, nothing else should matter."

"I know, but I can't help but be worried. I hate that everything is happening now of all times." He eyed her and then moved forward, pulling her into his arms. As she pressed her cheek against his shoulder, she wondered vaguely to herself when she had become so comfortably with touching him, when she had begun to trust him so deeply. She couldn't remember enjoying someone's company as much as his. She had always had her father, but there was something distinctly different in Yami's embraces and touch that she could not define. She closed her eyes as he slid his fingers through her hair, slipping beneath the silky curtain to close his palm and fingers over the back of her neck. She shivered at the feel of his cool hand on her warm flesh.

"Sometimes," he said aloud thoughtfully, "I think it would be better to ignore what reason says simply to satisfy myself."

"And do you?" she murmured, feeling her heartbeat accelerate. She was not certain why and it made her nervous. Her heart thudded wildly when he gently pulled her away from him. She raised her eyes to his and felt her cheeks begin to warm at the tenderness in his eyes.

"Not until now," he answered, tilting her head back with his hand and closing his lips over hers. Her heart stuttered with excitement and she lifted her hands, shaking, to his arms, clasping them as she pressed her lips more firmly against his. She was inexperienced in anything that involved men and was not entirely sure of how to act or what to do. Thankfully, it seemed that Yami knew that and had far more experience than she did. He slid his hand from her neck and smoothed it along her back and the curve of her spine, pulling her closer to the warmth of his body. She obligingly cuddled up to him, her hands moving to his shoulders, insistent. She could feel his mouth curve against hers in amusement and felt a bit of embarrassment at her behavior. It did not seem to bother him in the least.

The earlier soft kiss became less so as he raised his hand, taking her chin and curling his index finger underneath it, coaxing her mouth open with swift swipes of his tongue. She nearly purred, clinging to him as his tongue dipped into the sweet crevice of her mouth. It seemed too warm outside even though she knew it was cool. She seemed to be burning and the taste of him, of cinnamon and some other flavor that she could not identify intoxicated her. His hands dropped to her waist, guiding her back against her car and moving himself closer so their bodies were aligned. She was hot and his mouth was so moist and delicious that she boldly, without thinking, lifted her tongue to his in synchronization, pulling his face closer. This time, he was smirking. And this time, she felt no embarrassment, only a foreign desire that she had never experienced before.

Before she was able to truly act on that desire, her phone abruptly rang, startling both of them. He pulled away and she blinked blearily, gazing at him. Neither of them paid any attention to the ringing for a moment, staring at each other before Yami seemed to collect himself and removed himself from her, putting a few feet between them and suggesting, "I would answer that if I were you." He smiled comfortingly. "You need to be getting home, anyway. Drive home safe, Anzu." He reached out and brushed his knuckles over her chin before turning and moving to his own car. Bemused, she stared after him, pressing 'Send' on her phone and raising it to her ear.

"Hello? Anzu? Are you there? Hello??" Anzu blinked and wrenched her attention from Yami to hurry around her car, answering the caller at the same time.

"Yes, sorry, hello Mai."

"Hello yourself, hon." There was a pause. "I didn't interrupt anything, did I?" There was a subtle hint as to exactly what she thought she was interrupting. Anzu's face flamed as she slid into the driver's seat. It was no surprise that she might come to that conclusion as Anzu had answered the phone in a bit of a breathless voice. She started her car and put her seatbelt on, clearing her throat.

"Um, not at all. Er...So what's up?" Anzu asked, forcing a cheerful tone to her voice.

"I thought I would call to see what was going on," Mai answered in a flippant tone. "It's been awhile since we went out and all." Anzu pulled out on the street, frowning. It seemed to her that both she and Mai were hiding something from each other. Mai was keeping her voice carefully in check, but it was clear that she had called simply to talk to someone, which meant that something had happened that she needed to forget about. Anzu, frankly, was glad that Mai had called. She didn't want to overanalyze what had just happened with Yami or else she would be up all night.

"Mai, what's wrong?"

For a moment, Anzu feared that Mai had hung up or was not going to answer, but then she said, "It's just the same thing with Jounouchi and Rena. She loves him so much more than me, Anzu, and I can't bear it. I just can't bear being so lonely. Otogi now has the girl he's been in love with for so long and I'm jealous. I want to feel that way, to feel loved, and I'm jealous because he doesn't come by anymore now that he's dating Shizuka. I feel...just so awful."

"Oh, Mai," Anzu murmured sympathetically. "Well...Where's Rena right now?"

"In bed. Why do you ask?"

"Well, how about I come over and we can just hang out and talk about the woes of our life, men and everything?" Anzu was exhausted from her day, but she could hear the true misery in Mai's voice. She seemed like such a strong, beautiful woman who knew what she was doing all the time that it was hard to envision Mai broken and depressed. There was no doubt in Anzu's mind that Mai was feeling that way at the moment. And, despite how cruel Mai had treated her before, Anzu felt that she could relate with her more than she could with Shizuka or Miho. The two of them merely had relationship problems and although Mai was having that, too, there were underlying problems, just like with Anzu.

"Are you...sure? I don't want your pity, Anzu – "

"It's not pity," Anzu firmly told her. "We both need someone else right now, Mai, and I think if we shared each other's problems, we might be able to find some solution to them."

"Alright," Mai conceded with a sigh. The mere idea of such an exchange with another woman was new to her; simply having another woman as a friend was new to her. "Why don't you get some stuff from your house and I can prepare my hot tub to relax and you can sleep over tonight because hon – I'm never going to shut up."

Anzu smiled. "Well, it'll take a lot to shut me up, too."

X

DIS: Yaaay...So, I'm never good at kiss scenes and especially sex scenes, but did I handle this one okay? Also, how do you think I did with the meeting between Anzu and her mom? I've been trying to write longer chapters on all of my stories and so far, I'm succeeding. Yesss! Sorry that this chapter only had a few scenes to it. Next chapter will start with Anzu and Mai, but _please_ review and tell me how you liked it. Ciao!


	20. Sometimes one must wonder

DIS:** Thanks**, as always, to everyone that has been reviewing. It's amazing how long I've been working on this story. I'm a disgustingly slow updater. But here we are with the next chapter – enjoy!

X

_Chapter Twenty, Sometimes one must wonder_

Mai was sitting at the table when Anzu arrived. Except for when Anzu had called her earlier that day inquiring as to where her mother's new home was, she hadn't spoken to her. Mai would never have considered calling Anzu that night if not for that brief phone call from her. She had controlled her emotions better with using the business-like tone she always held when it came to clients. The second phone call was more difficult, not only because she had initiated the call, but because she really did want some female companionship. It was strange because only now did she realize how much she craved such companionship from another woman. Shizuka was too naïve to understand some things and although Anzu was bordering on that naiveté, her lifestyle and some of the hardships she had to face proved that she was not.

"You brought a bathing suit, I hope?" Mai asked Anzu as soon as she entered the kitchen. Anzu nodded. "I'll help you take your things upstairs to my room." Mai picked up a bag while Anzu took the other and the two of them quietly ascended the stairs. Behind Mai, Anzu was watching the older female with a furrowed brow. She could see by the weak slump in her shoulders that something was bothering Mai more than she was letting on. The blonde pushed open a door and flipped a switch nearby. "I'll get undressed downstairs. You can change in here." She set her bag by the bed and retrieved her bathing suit from the dresser. Mai paused at the doorway, smiling slightly. "Thank you, Anzu."

"No, thank _you_," Anzu returned with a hasty smile. "I'll only be a minute." Mai shut the door after giving a nod. Anzu stood in the middle of the room for a moment, looking around her thoughtfully. The room was immaculate with few pictures on the walls and the only ones that were happened to be that of landscapes. On Mai's desk was a picture set down with the bare back sticking up. Curious in spite of herself, Anzu moved to the desk and briefly took notice of all the childish pictures that Rena had drawn. In all of them, there were three people, two women and a man. Anzu picked up the picture and sighed at what it was. _I don't think either her or Jounouchi have really moved on, _Anzu thought to herself, cradling the small picture in her hands. Rena was a newborn in this picture and Jounouchi and Mai were grinning at the camera, Jounouchi bent slightly over them in a protective gesture.

Setting the picture back in its original position, Anzu turned away from the desk and began to dig through her bag for her bathing suit. She undressed and put it on, taking a towel she had brought from home and wrapping it around her. She paused to fold her clothes by her bag and then left the room. She navigated through the dim light downstairs and to the kitchen, where Mai was. "Oh, wine," Anzu said with a smile. Mai turned from the counter where she was pouring wine and smiled. "Always a good drink for a private moment." Mai chuckled and handed her a glass. She, too, was in a towel.

"Wine is good regardless of the situation, hon," she told her. "Let's go." She took her own glass and a bucket of ice that the wine bottle was situated in, leading Anzu outside to the back. The hot tub was in a wooden protective covering for when it rained or snowed. The top was already off, the water bubbling from the jets. Mai set the bucket and her wine glass on the deck and slipped out of her towel, setting it to the side. Anzu followed suit, gradually sliding into the hot water. "I only bought the hot tub for when I became stressed," Mai conversationally told her, settling in the water faster than Anzu. "It works for easing the tension in your muscles."

"It's very relaxing," Anzu agreed, taking a drink of her wine and subtly peering at Mai beneath her lashes. She felt a deep pang of admiration for Mai. She was beautiful without even seeming to be aware of it. Her hair was piled upon her head, the curly blonde tendrils falling gracefully out of her bun to frame her face. Even without any cosmetics, Mai managed to look lovely. Anzu was not the type of girl to feel jealous of another simply because of looks, nor did she wallow in self-pity if she felt she was not as good looking. There was nothing unattractive about Mai's looks, though, and she imagined that she was lucky to naturally look that way. However, that was as far as she went with thinking that Mai was lucky. It was clear by her constant misery that Mai was not all that lucky. "When did you see Jounouchi, Mai?" Anzu hesitantly asked.

"Today," Mai answered, holding her wine glass with both of her hands, turning the glass this way and that. "He dropped Rena off and..." She sighed, closing her eyes and dropping her head back. "For one second, I almost told him how much I missed him, how much I wanted him to come back...I almost showed him how weak I've become since he's left me. I stopped myself in time. I hurt Jounouchi badly and not even admitting that I was wrong in doing it would bring him back to me." She opened her eyes and looked at Anzu with a small smile. "Rena loves him so much, Anzu, and she does love me...But because she sees him less, she shows it to him a lot more clearly. I _know_ this, but I just feel so awful when I see them together. They're...perfect. I'm just the misfit."

"I don't think it's anything like that. You're not the misfit – "

"But I am!" Mai interrupted in anguish, lurching forward and spilling some wine in the water. "You don't see the way they look at me. No matter what I do, it's never enough to make Rena really love me. She doesn't even cry when she's with me, Anzu, so I can never comfort her. She doesn't hug me except reluctantly at night. And sometimes...sometimes I am reluctant to hug her because I am always thinking that if Jounouchi were there with me, I could be truly happy and someone could hold me in their arms like I want." Anzu's eyes softened and she moved around the hot tub to sit next to Mai, groping in the water for her hand. Mai blinked and looked at her in some surprise.

"You don't have any parents that you can talk to about this?"

"No, my parents are the last people I would ever want to speak to of this. They hate me because I chose to marry Jounouchi, someone they had always disapproved of because he was in a lower social class. I've always been butting heads with them anyway." She took a drink of her wine. "I grew up without any real companionship and it was only in my teens that I began to rebel. Maybe that's why I do such stupid things like when I was married with Jounouchi."

"Marrying him wasn't a stupid thing, though," Anzu consoled.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me, Anzu. Even if I'm hurting now, meeting him and falling in love was the only thing that went right in my life. Jounouchi is such a sweet, overprotective guy. He would do anything for those that he loves. He gave me a second chance because he trusted me so much." She stared down at her wine, a bitter smile crossing her lips. "And all I did was betray that trust and break his heart. I can never forgive myself for that."

"Mai...Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, hon," Mai replied readily enough. "I have nothing to hide."

"Why is it that people who...hurt others...never realize how much they love them until after the hurt has been inflicted?" Anzu glanced at Mai, to make certain that she was not treading on forbidden ground. Mai, contrary to what Anzu was expecting, looked thoughtful. There was still a hint of the sadness she had been experiencing earlier, but she seemed to be occupied by Anzu's question.

"I guess it's that old phrase that comes into play," Mai said after a moment of contemplation. "You never know what you have until it's gone. Some people..." She frowned and released a sigh through her nose. "Some people take everything for granted and then when they don't have it, they throw a fit. It's like a child with a toy. They don't play with a toy that much but once someone else has it, they get upset and want it back. Even when they have it back, they don't really cherish it, but ignore it. For me, I want Jounouchi back both because I love him and because Rena is desperate to have her father in her life as much as she has me in it. Occasional visits aren't good enough for her. If Jounouchi returned, I wouldn't be that child that ignored their toy once they had it returned...I would watch over it like I would my favorite toy." She paused, a sudden realization coming upon her. "Is there any particular reason why you asked, Anzu?"

"I did say that I was having a problem and it kind of has to do with that." It was only then that Anzu understood why she wanted to talk to Mai about her mother. Mai was almost like her mother, without all the sticky details that were involved in Sakura's ordeal. Sakura was claiming to miss Anzu and Seiji, but she had caused her own problems by her actions and she did not show much remorse. Mai, in contrast, had atoned for her affair from what Otogi told Anzu. She no longer dated and lived ideally for Rena. Sakura showed no such change. "I went to see my mother today with Yami."

"And there is yet another thing that you and I need to discuss," Mai said, her face hardening. Anzu blinked at the mom-like, overprotective expression. "Yami. I knew that you had something going on with him and that breathless, girly voice of yours over the phone did not imply that anything innocent had happened before I called you." One of Mai's perfect eyebrows rose in question. To avoid the question, Anzu drank the rest of her wine a bit too quickly. "You _were_ with him, right?"

"Well. Yes. But we weren't doing anything as bad as you're making it out," Anzu hastily assured her, sidetracked from the conversation she had originally been intending. Mai's lips curled upward in an honest smile. She filled their glasses with wine again before speaking.

"He must be a very good kisser to get that kind of reaction, then. Either that or you're very inexperienced." Anzu chose not to say anything to the last assumption. "I've always liked Yami. He's different than most guys, very down to Earth and reserved. Polite, too, which is always good. I'm sure you know a lot more about him than I ever could. I think I remember you praising him when we went out shopping." She winked at Anzu, who sat a bit helplessly. Mai took a drink of her wine and then stared down at it, her smile decreasing a bit. "Jounouchi isn't anything like that. He's very lovable, though, and you can't help but like him because of it. When we first started dating, he worked at a dinky little restaurant as a waiter and got paid hardly anything and the tips didn't help much, either. He wasn't what a girl would want: sloppy, perverted, with no car or any real intelligence. But he was a sweetheart. He was always buying me things and bringing me things that he found or wanted me to have."

"That's so romantic."

"He didn't even stop it when we got married. This one morning..." Mai tapped her wine glass, as though debating with herself. Shrugging, she continued, "I had a hard day the day before and so when I woke up, I went downstairs and he had made me a huge breakfast and had gone out and bought me flowers. I looked terrible because I didn't get enough sleep...But he called me beautiful and nothing could have made my week better than that one breakfast." Mai smiled faintly as she stared ahead of her, lost in her memories. Anzu sipped at her wine, stretching her legs out in the water. "I started doing little things for him after that. I didn't think it was fair that he always treated me and I never treated him. Has Yami ever done that for you?" Mai turned to her inquiringly.

"Well, not exactly. He doesn't buy me things – he does things that are enough. In almost every rough patch I've hit since I've come to Domino, he's been right there to support me. He brought in one of his dancer friends, Ryou, to help me with my dancing and has just been...so kind and helpful."

"It's not often that you can find a guy that treats you well, hon. Keep him close if you really like him. Now...Why did you go see your mom? I was under the impression you would have hated her after all that she had done to you. I suppose it _was_ your mother who bought that house, then?"

"Yes, it was. It's a long story, I'm not sure you'll want to listen to it."

"That's why I invited you over, isn't it?" Mai asked, suddenly raising her hand that was still clasped in Anzu's. "We're friends now, right?" Anzu looked at their intertwined hands and then smiled.

"Right."

Anzu explained everything to Mai, including Malik without saying his name – just in case – and telling her all about the woman that she thought was her mother and what she knew Sakura now was. There were a few times where she faltered, uncertain, but Mai encouraged her. Her eyes were earnest and she listened attentively. It was amazing because from what Anzu knew, Mai was a fairly impatient woman who had control of everything when it came to working and tried to do that with her relationships. It seemed that she had finally learned that being the controlling member of the party was the not the wisest – or best – position to hold.

"My God," Mai breathed after Anzu had gone silent. She raised her wine glass and then frowned, seeing that both hers and Anzu's were empty. She refilled them and took a generous drink from her glass, staring off to the side in deep thought. "My God," she repeated, closing her eyes briefly. "But...This is frightening, Anzu." She opened her eyes to look at Anzu and the younger of the two was startled at the fearful panic in Mai's violet gaze. "What kind of mother could do that? How could she even begin to think that she is worthy of your forgiveness after causing such trouble?" Mai's grip tightened on her glass. Anzu knew that the situation bothered Mai more than it ought to have more because of her own motherhood than anything else. "This woman...she is a snake, Anzu," she said after another pause.

"I know," Anzu quietly said. "She told me that she loved me and papa, that she had regretted it."

"Regret," Mai sighed. "What a very human emotion. Of her claim of regretting it...I know that you will say that if she truly regretted it, she wouldn't have done it. You know, Anzu, I used to say that to Jounouchi. I told him that if he was really sorry for doing this or that, he wouldn't hurt me like he did and then he turned those words on me. He said that if I truly felt bad for being with other men, I would have learned after the first time. Regret...is something that you don't feel until you really lose something. You don't feel it in the act of doing something. Like..." Mai struggled for a moment and then continued with her example, "Like when you hit a person at work. You don't regret it then or an hour later. Once you lose your job, though, and are starving and can't afford your rent or anything else, that's when you really regret punching that person. Maybe she does feel remorse, but that means nothing. Just because you feel bad about doing something to a person and realizing that you lost what was the better alternative doesn't mean you aren't still a snake."

"...Did Jounouchi ever call you that? – A snake?"

Mai smiled sadly. "He called me a poisonous cobra. That was one of the worst fights we had after the divorce. We said so many horrible things to each other. But he was right. Almost everything he said to me was right. The things that I said were petty compared to his words. Maybe I am a cobra, but his words were poison, fueling me." She shook her head and drained her glass of wine. "Sometimes you have to just...let things go. I'm trying, I really am. He doesn't try because he doesn't want to. He's trying to avoid fights, though, and I respect him for that."

"Jounouchi is like my papa," Anzu musingly told her. "He's calm, but can be riled up by something. He's hurting, just like Jounouchi is. I don't think that kind of hurt can ever be forgotten, Mai."

"No, neither do I," she agreed. "Well. Enough of that. I'm started to get tired, both from the wine and from the water. Shall we eat something and then go to sleep?" Anzu nodded her agreement with that. The two of them exited the hot tub with sharp inhales of breath from the cool air. The two of them shut off the hot tub and put the cover on it, securing it carefully. Satisfied, they collected their towels, cups, and the bucket with the nearly finished wine inside it. Once they deposited their things in the kitchen, they dried off and got dressed in loose clothing as pajamas. "Do you think it's possible to be happy, hon?" Mai asked thoughtfully as she cooked them a huge ham and cheese omelet they planned on sharing.

"If you're with the right people," Anzu replied. Mai turned slightly to look at her and they exchanged a smile.

After eating and drinking milk, their stomachs were full and they moved upstairs to Mai's bedroom. Climbing into bed, both females gave a sigh. "Goodnight, Mai," Anzu said.

"Goodnight." This time, Mai groped for Anzu's hand and reassuringly squeezed her hand. "Sweet dreams, hon."

But as Anzu drifted off to sleep, the face of Jiiro Hanazawa rose in her mind: smiling, charming, and every bit as warm and delightful as Yami's own face was. It was not the face of a murderer, but of a man who loved to create music and who seemed to adore her mother with the way his eyes had been fixed on her. He did not look as she imagined with his fair skin and black hair that was long and framed his face, barely hitting his shoulders. His green eyes had unnerved her because they were every bit as innocent as a young boy's. When she saw that photograph, she thought that it was a joke, that her mother was mistaken.

It only showed that no matter how innocent a person may look, they could do unspeakable things...

X

In another part of Domino, despite the late hour, there was a house brightly lit up. Inside, the slow rumble of a song could be heard from the concert Steinway inside. Ryuichi Sakamoto's _Forbidden Colours_ was one of Yami's favorites out of the pianist's songs. It was slow, with the play of multiple keys and at some points it was pianissimo, other times forte; overall it was a song meant to relax the pianist and the audience. Yami needed something relaxing. He had made sure not to show anyone, most especially Anzu, how distressed he was with the meeting with Sakura. She had roused unpleasant memories, had reminded him that he was still hiding from a part of himself that he had pretended no longer existed.

A shudder passed through his body and as his eyes flew open, his fingers crashed onto the wrong notes and his winced, jerking his hands away from the keys and holding a hand to his mouth. His stomach churned and bile rose in his throat. He swallowed it with a grimace and closed his eyes, breathing deeply through the nose until the sickness passed. Once it had, he lowered his hands to his lap and stared down at them. He considered going to the cupboard where his alcohol was, but dismissed the idea promptly. He recalled how worried Anzu had been the last time he literally drunk himself into a stupor.

An abrupt knock on the door startled him and he rose to his feet in alarm. There was a ridiculous urge to run that he hastily quelled. He allowed himself a second for his heartbeat to calm and then cautiously left the room to answer the door. As he pulled it inward, he relaxed at the familiar features of Malik Ishtar. The blonde tilted his head to the side and raised an eyebrow at Yami. "Can I come in or will you have me standing here all morning?"

"It _is_ morning, isn't it?" Yami faintly murmured. Malik's eyes narrowed on him and he stepped inside. Yami shut the door and checked the clock on a table in the foyer and released a small smile. "It's almost three. Why are you here, Malik? I know that the cabs run this late, but I'm a little surprised to see you wasting money on a cab just to come see me."

"It's not as if it's a friendly social call, Yami," Malik coldly returned. "It's a good thing that Anzu is naïve or else I'm sure she would be the one knocking on your door." Yami ignored him and returned to the room where his piano was. "Then again, she has her own problems to deal with at the moment so I doubt she would have noticed anyway. You shouldn't let what that bitch said bother you. It'll eat away at you day and night until you can't sleep." Yami's fingers hesitated above the keys of his piano and he turned his head to look at Malik. The dancer simply stood a few feet behind him, his arms folded across his chest. Yami often forgot with Malik's flippant, arrogant attitude how bothered he was with his state of business. It wasn't that Malik didn't enjoy being involved in the underworld, but he had always been very careful that no one knew about it because he was ashamed of it for his own personal reasons. Out of everyone, Malik knew Yami the best and only because they had met through an accident in the underworld.

"Sometimes," Yami quietly said, "I think I've finally got it out of my life and then it comes back. Anzu accepts this part of me now, but I wonder if she'll begin to hate me as I've begun to hate myself."

"That's the problem with you melodramatic musicians," Malik sighed irritably. "For God's sake, Yami, the girl wouldn't judge you even if you had killed a guy." There was a pregnant pause in which Yami turned around to completely face Malik. The two of them stared at each for a long moment and then Malik lowered his eyes, his mouth taut. "I'm not trying to dredge up the past, but this is something you have to work out. Don't think I don't know what Kaiba was telling you. He's right, Yami. You're getting too involved with her. You need to figure out what's going on and come clean with her. I might not be the expert on relationships, but I know women. They don't like secrets."

"There are many things I haven't told Otogi or Kaiba or anyone else that you know simply because of a mistake, Malik."

"And there are some things that you _should_ tell them. What you have with the people in your life is a farce of a relationship and until you realize that, you're always going to continue being the self-pitying moron that you've been since you left Hanazawa's tutorship. Now, I don't really want to take a cab back to Ryou's, so where can I sleep?"

"...The couch," Yami bit out and then turned back to the piano and returned to playing _Forbidden Colours_. Malik made a disgusted sound in the back of his throat and then left Yami.

Before leaving Ryou's, Malik had a serious debate with himself whether he wanted to provoke Yami in the manner that he just had. He knew better than to bring up anything in Yami's past. His parents had been hunting after him ever since he finished his requirements in the underworld and had fled from Hanazawa and the life they had forced him into. He had made a successful life as a moving pianist, working in several different countries, yet only a few spare people knew the real reason for that. On the outside, he appeared to enjoy himself by taking interested women to bed, enjoying the parties that he was invited to, and seeming to be completely at ease with himself. Yami purposely remained away from the dancing community in order to avoid Malik, as he was just another reminder of what he was hiding from.

_I had to contact him to get him to acknowledge me again, _Malik thought, taking pillows from another couch and putting them on the more comfortable of the two. _He needed someone who knew what his parents were up to and I was willing to keep him updated only because our positions were similar. We had to protect our pasts from everyone so that our careers would not be tarnished. Yami, as obtuse as he is at times, loves being a pianist. Playing the piano is his life. If he didn't love it so much, I think he might have given it up since Hanazawa introduced it to him in the first place. _Malik dropped onto the couch, shifting so that he could get into a comfortable position. _It's been ages since Yami last saw Hanazawa..._

_(Flashback)_

_Malik hated this type of business. It was one of the aspects of the underworld that made him loathe it so. The highs were always high and the lows an unbeatable low. There were no mediums when involved in this business, something that Malik intensely disliked. He pushed his hair from his face with a sigh as he turned a corner of the massive building that was Jiiro Hanazawa's home. A mansion protected by trees and only his private home. His public home that was open to fellow pianists that had nothing to do with the underworld was a nice town apartment. His mansion was outside the city limits and therefore very few people knew who entered and exited it. Malik wished that he did not have to make such a long trip to the man's place. It would make this deal a lot easier._

_As he moved down the hall with his hands in his pockets, he spotted a familiar male exiting a room. Yami's face was ashen and there was a feverish, panicked look in his eyes. From the moment that he met him, Malik knew that Yami was not in this world willingly. Shortly following him was his father, a renowned violinist. Malik paused in his steps as his father put a hand on his shoulder. Yami whipped around, slapping it away. "Don't you _dare_ touch me again," he hissed. "I don't want you or your damned wife near me!"_

"_My wife?" the elder male murmured thoughtfully. "Mmm, that is not a very polite way to address or speak of your mother, Yami." Rei Mutou was completely unmoved, staring at Yami with cold, unfeeling eyes. The familial ties that Rei was trying to establish meant little to him, as both Yami and the quiet spectator, Malik, knew. "Continue to speak that way of her and I may have to...inspire...some respect in you." His face hardened and Yami hesitated for a second too long. Rei's hand sent him flying to the ground. He spit out blood from the blow to his mouth. "You knew what was required of you, Yami. You knew what it was that we expected of you and you have let us down. Hanazawa has forgiven you simply because you're his pet – his _treasured pianist_." He sneered the last two words with contempt. "He will not be able to avoid punishing you next time. Follow your orders. Do as you're told."_

"_I will not have my hands sullied with murder!" Yami screamed violently. "You and your filthy friends have your hands covered in blood up to your elbows. I won't be like that! I'm not a killer!"_

_Rei's body tensed, as if he were about to cause more harm. Malik hastily made his presence known and Rei's head snapped to the side and he took a step away from Yami. His son was stumbling to his feet, keeping a hand braced on the wall. Although Malik and Yami had never liked each other much, Malik felt pity for him right then. "Ishtar. Have you been lurking in hallways, again?" Rei and Malik, however, did not have any ounce of respect for each other. Rei had always despised Malik. Rei was older and had been in the underworld longer, yet Malik knew how to play the games and manipulate things and people far more easily than he and many others could. _

"_I'm not sure I would call it that," Malik replied, his mouth curving into a suave smile. "I have business with Hanazawa. Perhaps you ought to scurry away to where rats like you hide out, huh?" Rei sent him a resentful stare and then stalked past him, ignoring Yami completely. Once he was out of earshot, Malik turned to Yami and queried, "Anything broken or is it just a split lip?" Yami released a bitter laugh and shook his head._

"_No...He knows better than to break anything." He ran his tongue over his lip, his brow furrowed. _

"_What happened? You're not usually stupid enough to cause a fight in Hanazawa's own house. I assume you were asked to kill someone?" Yami had been gingerly touching his lip with his fingers, stopping when Malik said that and raising his eyes to his face. "Don't start shit with me, Yami, I'm trying to be helpful here, got it?" Yami sucked in his lip, his gaze sliding to the side contemplatively. Malik frowned. _

"_Do you remember how we met, Malik? Hanazawa introduced us. He's well acquainted with both dancers and pianists. You were ready to slit my throat if I was competition." Yami returned his gaze to Malik. "I'm not like you. I can't kill a man. I know that some of the things that I do could cause a man's death, but I can't take a gun or a knife or something like that and kill him. I would never be able to leave this..._thing_ that is supposed to be my life. If I lose the last shred of humanity that I have left, I'll go mad. I'll kill myself. To end another person's life...I could never do it."_

"_You really are so dramatic, Yami," was all Malik said in response to this._

"_I imagine if you and I continue to see each other, you will always call me that. I prefer to think that I'm a realist." _

"_Think whatever the hell you want. You have bigger problems on your hands other than your conscience, though." _

"_I know...I have one more task, Malik, and then I can leave."_

"_Then leave, Yami," Malik suggested shortly. "The more you pull at the chains your old man has tied to you, the more problems you cause for yourself. Once you have the requirements fulfilled, leave. If you don't, he will kill you." _

"_You think I am unaware of that fact?" Yami raised an eyebrow. The fight had faded from his eyes and Malik could see he was in possession of himself again. He was not shaking with rage and his swollen lip did not seem to be bothering him any longer. He looked calm, collected, just as Malik recalled when they first met. Even when Yami had acknowledged Malik's desire to kill him if he were a competitor, his face had not changed. The chilling fact was that it was so much like his father. Rei could hide any emotion until he wanted someone to know of it; Yami was the exact same. "I won't let you follow me outside this place, Malik."_

"_Oh, but you're so fun," Malik said with a smirk._

_---_

"_Malik, thank you for coming," Hanazawa greeted a few weeks later. Yami, as he had vowed, had left the underworld and Hanazawa's tutorship as well. "Rei and his wife, Harumi, are worried about their son disappearing." He raised his unusually wide, emerald eyes to Malik's lavender ones. "I am not about to ask you to pursue him. Yami was never meant for this kind of life, that I have known all along. The only thing that truly made him happy was the piano." He ran a hand over the piano he was standing beside. "He makes beautiful music. I am glad to have found him and you, one of the best dancers I will ever meet. Your talents will flourish. Someday...I hope that I will be able to see him play in concert."_

"_Rei isn't going to give up, Hanazawa," Malik said flatly. "You know that as well as anyone else."_

"_Yes...He asked me to kill him. To kill his _son_. Normally, I would have not cared. But I have always wanted a son of my own. In my line of work, you can never have family in fear that they will turn against you or be used against you. You learned that the hard way, didn't you?" Hanazawa looked to Malik, who stared at him blankly. If the man dared to bring his sister or elder brother's name into the picture...Perhaps he knew better because he let that thought safely drift away. Malik was now just another pawn on a chessboard after Hanazawa had his family taken care of quite swiftly. If his brother had been wiser, he would have remained alive. But then, he had never been all that cautious._

"_Will you pursue Yami, then?"_

"_No...I have killed many people and ruined many lives, but Yami deserves better. It is his right to leave this world, anyway. Our code dictates it. He will have to figure out a way to avoid his parents on his own, though." He sighed and settled at the bench of the piano, sliding his fingertips along the keys, applying no pressure. "I could kill his parents, but that would be helping him and I help no one when it comes to such matters. It's a pity the situation was not more like yours."_

"_A pity," Malik echoed hollowly._

"_If only he was more heartless."_

"_Like you?"_

"_I am not heartless," Hanazawa quietly said, "simply unfortunate."_

"_That is a matter of opinion, Hanazawa." _

_(End Flashback)_

Malik opened his eyes when he heard the piano music from the other room halt. There was the sound of a light switch being hit and then, very faintly, bare feet on the floor. Yami appeared in the doorway of the den a few minutes later, staring around the room thoughtfully before looking at Malik. He rose up slightly on his elbow, frowning at Yami in question. "I just thought of something," Yami said. "You always went in and out of Hanazawa's house but I never thought anything except that you had dealings with him back then...And yet you continued to have dealings with him and he shoved his debts on you when he died. Why is that?"

"Because my father fucked him over," Malik bluntly answered. "He killed my sister and brother and only kept me alive so that I could suffer. The debts were just another addition."

"Hm...But why didn't I realize this before?"

"At the time, you had more things to worry about than why I was hanging around Hanazawa. There are some things that are best let untouched, Yami, and this is one of those things. I don't want to talk about what that bastard did to my family, so leave my past out of yours."

"I can't, Malik, not when Anzu could end up becoming involved. I have to straighten everything out and you are going to help me." Malik stared at Yami's determined expression. He didn't look as though he were staring through a fog as he had when he first entered the house. It seemed that he had finally understood the consequences of his past life. It was harder for Yami since he had not willingly corrupted himself. He sighed and fell onto the couch, rubbing his forehead in annoyance. "Malik?"

"I have bigger fish to fry. Get her through _Swan Lake_, start her on her career, and maybe start a relationship with her. Then let's talk. I should have my finances more stable by then."

"Fine, fine, that sounds fine to me."

"Now go to sleep already or else bring out the alcohol and get us some hookers." He glanced at Yami's glowering expression and smirked. "I am, of course, just kidding."

"...Right. Goodnight, then."

"Goodnight."

Yami shut the light off as he left and Malik turned on his side, smiling contentedly to himself. _That's much better, _he thought cheerfully enough.

X

DIS: You could consider this a sort of filler chapter. It was also meant to give stabilize Malik's position in the story. It seemed like you guys weren't all that certain why he was introduced in the first place, so I felt I ought to give some insight into his and Yami's past together. Anyway, next chapter will be a bit more interesting. Please leave a review telling me how you liked it! Any suggestions to make the story better? Tell me! Ciao!


	21. Uncomfortable conversations

DIS: Wow, I'm really psyched that everyone is really connecting with this story. It makes me giddy!

Thanks to **xxxSasuSakuxxx4ever **(Yeah, I had a feeling that everyone was in the dark about Yami's parents, so I figured it was only fair to put something about them in there), **Koragirl**, **SwordMasterZ**, **kaibasgirlx** (I knew that Malik was still really out of place in the story to the readers and needed to clarify that bit. Actually, I killed off Isis and Marik, who I always personify as Malik's brother, since Rishid is kind of a dull character...lol), **Arana Is**, **LilyMaple** (Thanks! With his canon character, Malik turns into a really goody-goody, but I wanted to show both sides: before Marik was banished and after because it seems like that's the real Malik to me), **DaAmazingMeepers**, **LivingLegends **(I'm trying to take Anzu and Yami's relationship slow, especially since they are both dealing with a lot of emotional drama right now, Anzu especially. Besides that, realistically, things don't happen that fast and I want this story to be as realistic as possible), **Tater Tots** (lol, I try to keep my stuff as original as possible so the readers can't find anything like it from another author. Thanks!!), **Secluded Sapphire**, **shadow-fox313**, **Atem-Tea love 4ver** (I usually make Mai a total witch in most of my stories to keep with part of her canon characters, but with this story, I held with the other half of her character, too. Wow, thanks for reading my profile, lol. I thought most people didn't even care!), **arashi wolf Pup**, **dancers of the night**, and **Midnight Chamber. **

I hope I didn't forget anyone. If I did, thank you for reviewing, too!!! With all that said and done, here is the next chapter!

X

_Chapter Twenty-One, Uncomfortable conversations_

Seto Kaiba was, if nothing else, a business man. It was one of the reasons that he was not married and why he had no friendships. To him, dealing with life was like dealing with a business transaction. The good memories were money, the bad memories was the debt that you accumulate. The sad thing was that Kaiba had never been very good at working with life. The only good memories that he could remember was when his younger brother, Mokuba, had been alive. Ever since then, he had never really been able to take joy in the things that he was doing. He had moved on, continued with Kaiba Corp. and dealt with every idiot Tom, Dick, and Harry that was thrown on him. Nonetheless, he acknowledged that his relationship with life was an unpleasant one; it seemed to him that he spent more time fixing other people's relationship with life and never truly dealing with his own.

He was reflecting upon this as he drank his coffee in his hotel. The newspaper was spread out on the table before him and he was barely reading it. The headline on the front page had been, "President Higuchi's reform of Japan fails," which was hardly going to be something that he wanted to read about. And, turning to the inside, there were more depressing article titles, none of which he wished to read. He had plans for today, revolving around Yami and his girlfriend-who-really-isn't-his-girlfriend. Once again, Kaiba was endeavoring to fix someone else's problems. It was his ideal way of dealing with things: ignore his own issues and deal with someone else's. Generally, people would be annoyed by this. However, when Kaiba threw himself into something, the result was always pleasant. And he had every intention of making _this _result pleasant, even if the little hellion caused some injuries on the way to that result.

Kaiba sighed and drained his cup of coffee and set it on the table. He pulled his sleeve up and checked the time. It was a bit past nine. _Yami should be awake by the time I get to his house, _he decided, rising to his feet and collected his keys, cigarettes, and lighter. He tucked the latter two in his pocket and after a pause, grabbed the keycard for his hotel room. He left his room, making certain the door was locked, and when he passed through the foyer, the desk clerk called a cheery farewell to him that made his mouth turned down irritably. _And of course the only reason the greedy scum do that is because I have money. _

He had bought a car for his time in Domino that he would sell back before he left. Kaiba enjoyed being driven around in his limo like any other wealthy man, but sometimes it was nice to have control of one's own car. And, with his good taste, naturally he chose a Jaguar to drive around. It was just as conspicuous as a limousine.

Parking in front of Yami's home, he shifted the clutch into first gear and then pulled the emergency brake for extra measure. After extracting the keys from the ignition, he locked the car and strolled leisurely up to the door and rang the doorbell. He was beginning to feel a craving and so while he waited for the door to be answered, he dug out his pack of Marlboro's and took a cigarette and lit it. Kaiba returned the lighter and cigarettes to his pocket and rang the doorbell a second time, taking a drag from his cigarette. He heard the lock being turned and then the door was jerked open. He raised an eyebrow at the person at the door. "This is unexpected," he commented, eyeing the ruffled blonde blinking at him groggily.

"What the fuck do you want?" Malik growled and then turned to look at something in the hall, adding, "And at ten in the morning, too!"

"I didn't come to see _you_, Ishtar. I wasn't even aware that you were here." He eyed him, querying as an afterthought, "You don't like men now, as well, do you?" Malik's brow furrowed in mild confusion. His mind was slow from sleep and he didn't understand the implications at first. When he did, fury suffused his face and he made a move to attack him, but Yami stepped out from behind him, shoving an arm between the two.

"It's a little early for that, don't you think, Kaiba?" Yami mumbled sleepily, rubbing his forehead.

"I've been up since six. I would hardly call ten too early for anything, Yami. Now, am I going to just stand here on the porch or are you actually going to let me in so I can discuss why I'm even here?" Yami shrugged lazily and stepped back, giving Malik a small push so that he moved. With obvious reluctance, Malik stepped away from the door, folding his arms across his chest moodily. He glanced outside after Kaiba was in the house and then his eyes widened when he saw the car that was sitting out there. He eyed the shiny exterior with pure lust on his face. "Try not to drool," Kaiba said in a smug voice. Malik whipped around and glared hatefully at him.

"If my circumstances were better, I would be able to get one myself," he stated snootily.

Yami rolled his eyes at them, shutting the door with a distinct _snap_. He ushered the two glowering enemies away from the door and towards the kitchen. As both Malik and Kaiba had somewhat of an ego problem, they made themselves at home in a house that was not theirs. Yami could forgive Malik, as he had slept there the night before. Kaiba's behavior, however, caused him to raise his eyebrows slightly. He had settled himself at the table and had dug out his cigarettes and lighter. If he noticed Yami's look, he did not acknowledge it, let alone care what Yami thought. Sighing, he turned to the coffee pot and emptied the filter from the day before and started to make a new pot of coffee. "So...Why is it that you are here, Kaiba?" Yami asked, turning slightly from the counter to meet Kaiba's gaze. Malik was at the window near the sink, leaning against it languidly.

"I wish to arrange a meeting with your little Anzu Mazaki," Kaiba stated plainly, lighting a cigarette and tossing the lighter on the table. "Better sooner rather than later. I have things to do and the auditions that you two are practicing for are in a week. I intend on being gone by then. I have better things to do than sit around, waiting on some girl." Yami's mouth turned down worriedly and he opened mouth to say something, but then closed it, unsure of what it was that he had intended on saying. He wasn't all too certain what he _could_ say in the circumstances. Kaiba stared at him unfeelingly, tendrils of smoke floating around him, stinking up the kitchen. The _put-put-put_ of the coffee pot abruptly stopped, leaving the room in total silence. When Yami didn't move, Kaiba took a drag of his cigarette and said, "I'm not interested in what you have to say or think about this, Yami. You don't want to stress her out and think she has enough on her plate as is. Fine, you can think that. However, once she enters the real world there is going to be an unending amount of stress. She ought to learn how to deal with it now." He rose to his feet and stepped towards the sink. Malik obligingly moved aside as he flicked his ashes in the sink and ran the water.

Yami raised his eyes from where Kaiba had been sitting to see Malik boring holes in him. He remembered what Malik had said last night, that he wasn't willing to help him bring light upon the situation until his finances were more stable. The look on his face seemed almost contradictory, as if he was encouraging Yami to allow Kaiba to do what he wished on this matter. "Listen," Yami quietly spoke up, turning his eyes to Kaiba, who was still by the sink and smoking his cigarette. He appeared to have no care in the world, which was quite misleading. "I understand what you're saying, Kaiba, but Anzu just dealt with her mother yesterday. I really do not think it is wise to throw more information on her that she may not be able to handle. You know that she could collapse from all this stress."

"Oh, don't give me that bullshit, Yami," Kaiba sighed irritably. He turned his back to him, jerking the window open. After putting his cigarette out in the sink, he flicked it out the window and turned round to face him again. "If she was going to collapse from stress, she would have done it yesterday. As it is, you never mentioned her being upset or weak or anything like that. I'm not going to tell her your whole life story, let alone her mother's. That is Sakura's responsibility. I _am_ going to explain to her the seriousness of what's going on because you want to protect her so badly and Malik, I am guessing, doesn't want to get involved because he has his own problems." Kaiba moved from the sink and collected his things from the table. "I don't care what you want right now – it's irrelevant as far as I'm concerned. I'll be by the opera house later to talk to her, whether you approve or not."

Yami watched as Kaiba left the kitchen, finding his way through the house and out the door. Despite Kaiba's mood, he shut the door quietly. Convinced that he was gone, Yami leaned heavily against the counter and ran a hand up his face, pushing his bangs off his face. His head was pounding dully and all he could think was that he should have said something, rather than simply let Kaiba run over him the way he did. When he looked to Malik, he saw that his companion had sat at the table and was appearing thoughtful. "I think he's right, Yami," he said at last, raising his eyes to Yami's. "Anzu can handle it. If she could handle everything that went on yesterday, she can handle the little that Kaiba wants to tell her. Let them be alone and talk. This way, Anzu won't turn to you for help. You _know_ that she'll do that if you're there," he added when Yami opened his mouth to protest. "She trusts you and depends on you for some things. Let her fight this battle...She'll learn better."

"Learn what?"

"The life of a dancer," Malik answered simply.

X

"...and have a nice day." Anzu smiled at the customer that returned the smile, raising his coffee cup slightly in a salute. Once his back was turned, she sighed and settled in her stool, listened to the murmur of conversation around her. There was a hum of soft music above the conversations that they had begun to play at the café in order to give it a soothing atmosphere. Anzu barely paid any attention to the music anymore; it was background noise, just like the customer's voices at their tables. Instead, she dwelled over everything that had been happening in her life. Last night had given her a lot to think about, not only with meeting her mother, but her conversation with Mai, too. She wanted to erase her mind of everything so that she might continue forward with only her auditions to think about, yet she knew that was impossible.

_I guess its best to deal with it now rather than later, _she thought, leaning her forearms against the counter and staring ahead of her at the door. _If I do get the part of Odette, I can't have these things on my mind all the time. They'll replace me in an instant. Of course, mother will probably want to see me at the worst possible time. _She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing again, and then straightened. _Yami and Malik were both involved in the same kind of activities that Jiiro Hanazawa was and he was my mother's lover. From what it sounded like, he was one of the most unpleasant men in the drug world. But it also sounded like it wasn't just drugs that he was involved in. Mother loved him enough to leave a respectable lifestyle...I wonder what he was like, to be able to manipulate so many people without even seeing them face-to-face? _She looked up just as the door opened and two of her friends entered. _Enough of this. I need to get it out of my mind. _"Hello, Jounou – " Anzu was almost knocked out of her chair as Miho came rushing over to the cash register. Anzu grabbed onto the counter just in time, snapping a leg out to brace it against the floor. She turned her head to look at her companion in wonder.

"Hello, Honda," Miho said breathlessly, her face lighting up.

"Hey, Miho," Honda answered, beaming in return.

After that, neither of them said anything, just staring at each other as if they had never seen someone so glorious. Jounouchi looked uncomfortable, rubbing the back of his head and exchanging an exasperated look with Anzu. The endearing silence had carried on too long for Anzu, so she shoved Miho to the side and raised her eyebrows pointedly at the female. Miho flushed, clearly humiliated by her behavior, and meekly went back to the flavor bottles and machines. Honda watched her all the way until he was staring at a wall of bottles and could not even see her. Needless to say, the entire event was embarrassing to behold.

Anzu cleared her throat, which caused Honda to turn and look at her, rubbing his arm nervously at being caught in such a situation. "What can I get you guys?" she asked, sharing a small smile with Jounouchi.

"Well, when _Romeo_ here decides what he wants, I'll be ready," Jounouchi said, sarcastically rolling his eyes to Honda.

"Hey, man, you just – " he began and then halted, turning abruptly. Anzu and Jounouchi also turned to see that Miho had peeked over the flavor bottles. She hastily ducked again when all three pairs of eyes settled on her. Anzu and Jounouchi looked at each other in disbelief. Honda turned red and a silly grin formed on his lips.

"Ugh...Just get us both twenty ounce vanilla granitas, Anzu. No whip cream."

"Right," she said and rung up the total, sending the order back to Miho. After they had paid and received their coffees, she said, "I'm almost done here. I'm supposed to get off in ten minutes, but I can clock out early if you guys aren't busy. We could hang before I have to go to practice."

"Oh, I'm sure you know where _he's_ going to be," Jounouchi said, jerking a thumb at Honda. Anzu laughed. "But that'd be cool with me. I'm on my way back home, anyway."

"Great! Just let me get my purse." He raised a lazy hand while Miho took her place at the cash register. Rika took one look at Miho and Honda talking to each other and rolled her eyes, flashing a wry smile to Anzu as they passed each other. Anzu tossed her barista apron away and grabbed her purse, returning to the front and exiting the stand to follow Jounouchi outside. Thankfully, Rika and Kanna were sharp enough to keep Miho going if any customers came in so Anzu did not have to worry about that. "Geez, those two are really hooked on each other, aren't they?" she mumbled to Jounouchi once they were outside. He gave a sad shake of his head.

"He acts like a fool around her. I guess they're dating now. It's the first time Honda ever got a girl that he really liked before. As long as it's not my sister and he doesn't dump _me_ for his girlfriend, I'm good with it." He blew out a long breath, rubbing his shaggy hair. "I just wish he would get over the whole lovesick phase. I feel embarrassed _for _him!" Anzu laughed slightly.

"Yeah, I feel the same way for Miho!"

They fell silent, leaning against the café's window. Anzu's smile faded as she remembered Mai's sad recollection of her time with Jounouchi. She slanted a look up at him and could see that Jounouchi was still his normal, carefree self, but there were shadows in his eyes that hinted at some worries on his mind. She had never spoken all too earnestly with him about his problems or hers, even. It had always been Shizuka that she had spoken to, perhaps because she was a female. It had always seemed like anything to do with Mai was a subject that ought not to be breached with him, especially as he had been the one directly hurt in the relationship.

"Is...anything on your mind, Jounouchi?" she hesitantly queried. He blinked and seemed to rouse himself from his thoughts. He looked ashamed to be caught so deep in thought and gave a nervous chuckle, looking away from her. "Because, you know, you could tell me anything if you just need someone to listen to you." She paused, uncertain what was going through his head at her offer. His eyebrows had drawn together, his mouth tightening slightly. He appeared to be battling with himself. "Or...if you can't tell anyone else," she added as an afterthought.

"I was just thinking...," he began and then halted for a second. He shrugged, as if assuring himself that it didn't matter and continued, "I was just thinking that...you and Mai are close and...Have you talked to her lately, Anzu?" Jounouchi turned to look at her, his face set in a grim expression that she had never seen on him. "I don't really care, but she's been acting weird lately and I don't want that to effect how she is with Rena. That's all." Anzu didn't say anything for a short time, sensing the defensive position he had taken in the last two sentences. She gently touched his arm and he glanced down at her, startled.

"She loves Rena just as much as you do, Jounouchi. I can't tell you what's wrong with her. It wouldn't feel right. But I _can _tell you that she's not going to let it bother her so much that she'll forget Rena." Anzu gave a reassuring smile. "Okay?"

He gave a lopsided smile in return. "Yeah, okay." However, when he turned from her again, there was no smile on his face and he still seemed to be brooding. "I bet she told you everything about our marriage, huh?" He flicked a look to her and whatever he saw in her face seemed to support his assumption. "Mai has always been really open about herself. When she finds someone that she can trust in, she tells her whole life story, even if it hurts her. She's just sociable like that. I'm not expecting you to tell me anything that she tells you, Anzu, but I still...I love Rena. She's my daughter and I want her to grow up right. This divorce wasn't something I wanted her to ever live through. I never even imagined that it would happen." Jounouchi faced Anzu and sighed, saying, "If you think that Mai needs a break from Rena to collect her thoughts, just tell me that I need to get Rena. That's all you have to say. It would be good for both her and Rena. Can you promise me that, Anzu?"

Anzu heard the door open and Honda calling out a farewell to Miho. There was a collection of laughter from the café from the customers. "I promise, Jounouchi," she said quietly. He smiled and was honestly relieved.

"Great. Thanks." To Honda, he said, "Come _on!_ I want to get home at some point today!" Honda came trotting to them, looking like a little boy that had just finished cookies and milk in his mother's kitchen. Anzu giggled at him, but made no comment. She suspected that Honda was a little sensitive when it came to relationships. Jounouchi's lack of sarcasm was a further indicator that this was true. "You have to go to the opera house, right, Anzu? We'll walk you there."

"Oh...You guys don't have to."

"Might as well," Jounouchi said with a shrug. His earlier attitude had vanished.

_He hides so well, _she thought as the three of them began to walk down the sidewalk to the opera house. _He hides everything so well...And that only causes him to deal with his suffering alone. Maybe that's best for him, but I would think that he would want someone to lean on. _Anzu raised her eyes to his face and felt a wave of depression for him. _Oh, Jounouchi...You're always hurting because you both hate and love Mai. _She looped her arm in his and hugged it to her side. He sent her a puzzled look, but did not pull away or say anything.

X

Yami waved a hand to Anzu when she arrived in the auditorium. If he had called 'hello,' she would have been unable to hear him with the way that Malik and Ryou were bickering. Generally, Ryou was the quiet one and could care less what happened around him unless it involved him or the people he loved. Malik's disappearance had caused him some upset as he knew that Malik had no real way of traveling, what with his reluctance to spend money on anything, and had suspected that someone had come in his house and killed the dancer and dumped his body somewhere. Otogi was smirking at the argument, once remarking that he would think they were gay if not for Malik's promiscuity.

"What are they fighting about?" Anzu asked Yami once she had arrived beside him, sending a troubled glance towards the two. He put a hand on her arm before she made any move to intervene.

"Nothing important. I'm allowing them to ride it out, especially since Ryou rarely ever gets to fight about anything. Besides, it looks like Malik is about to end it anyway. Watch."

"I don't have to deal with this from you!" Malik snapped at last, whipping away from Ryou and storming across the stage. "I'm not here to deal with your bitching at me. You're not my fucking wife and I don't have to tell you where I am!" He paused and gave a sly smile to Ryou. "Or maybe you really are a fag and love me, hmm? That would make some sense. I would love me if I were you, too!"

"Well that was the most arrogant thing I've heard someone say," Otogi said after a long silence was drawn out on the stage. Anzu had covered her mouth to halt any laughter. Ryou was just staring at Malik as if he were out of his mind. Malik shot a dirty look to Otogi after he spoke and then turned to glare at Yami, who simply raised an eyebrow in question.

"Aren't we supposed to be _practicing?_" he snarled. "Why aren't you at the piano?!"

Ryou had clearly given up on the argument and after everyone took their places as Yami called out a place number, things seemed to go smoothly. At first, Anzu had difficulty dancing with Malik because his body was so tense from irritation. He apologized to her once under his breath so that only she could hear. Gradually, however, his body unwound and he was able to focus more on her dancing. She noticed that he did less corrections; it only took one day of dancing with him for her to learn to do better.

Nearly two hours later when Malik said that it was time to stop for the day, Anzu's body was aching. "You'll want to take a bath with some Epsom Salt," he told her when he noticed her arch her back, rubbing near her hips. She sent him a skeptical look. "It will help a good deal. Trust me on this one."

"I trust you," she said plainly. His brow furrowed.

"That makes one person," Malik said and then turned towards Ryou. Anzu watched the two of them leave the opera house together, surprisingly quiet after arguing so much earlier. A touch came on her shoulder and she turned to see Yami. He gave a slight smile.

"You have a visitor, Anzu," he told her, nodding to the doors. It was the same snooty business man that had demanded to see Yami some days ago and the same that he and Malik had visited only yesterday. Her original opinion of Seto Kaiba had definitely not changed. "He wants to talk to you. Don't worry, he's not going to hurt you or anything. Just...talk with him for a minute. I can't be with you this time." Anzu turned, surprised by this. He shrugged helplessly and averted his gaze. "I'm sorry. This is something he wants you to do alone and Kaiba's logic never fails when it comes to these things." He gestured towards the doors. "Go ahead. I'll wait in here with Otogi."

"Alright...," Anzu cautiously said. "Let me get dressed, though. I'm not going to talk to him in this outfit." She swept a hand towards her tights and ballet outfit. His eyes lingered a bit longer than necessary and when he realized what he had done, he nodded his head quickly like a bobble head. She hid a smile. She had acted as normally as possible around him, pushing their kiss to the back of her mind. She grabbed her back and went to the back dressing room that was used for the actors. After locking it, she hastily changed into her clothes and shoved her hair into a bun. _It's not as if it was unpleasant, but I think that having a relationship with Yami will complicate things. _She paused in front of the door and placed a hand on it, sighing. _It's just...I like him. A lot. And I can tell that he likes me. But I feel that there's too much about each other that we don't know. _She reached down and pulled open the door.

Leaving her bag with Yami and Otogi onstage, she continued down through the seats to where Seto Kaiba was standing. His arms were folded over his chest and he was leaning against the doors, looking as though he had all the time in the world. When she was almost to him, he pushed off the doors and left before. _Such a gentleman,_ she thought to herself with a sarcastic twist of her mouth. She followed him through the opera house and outside. Twilight was beginning to fall on Domino and the traffic had thickened with people rushing home after work. From the busier parts of town she could hear honks of impatient drivers and as she paused beside Kaiba's limousine, a wide bus flew by, turning into the deeper part of downtown Domino. Her eyes narrowed as Kaiba lit a cigarette and slid the lighter and pack of cigarettes in his pocket. The ashes burned bright orange as he inhaled from it and then released a stream of smoke. "So," he said at last, "you're Sakura's daughter. I guess that would make you Jiiro Hanazawa's stepdaughter, to some effect."

"I have nothing to do with that snake," Anzu coldly told him.

A humorless smile tilted his mouth upward. "I can believe that." He inspected his cigarette thoughtfully and then met her gaze with his own, icy blue eyes. "Listen, girl, I'm not here for idle chit-chat or anything stupid like that. Yami enjoys protecting you like his precious china doll, hidden behind some glass case. Eventually you're going to learn some unpleasant details, whether it be from me, or your mother, or someone else that you don't even know. Yami thinks I'm here to warn you – and I am – but I'm also going to give you some information that he doesn't realize I know about him. You two are practically in a relationship, especially with the way he feels about you. Ryou talked to me before Yami even visited me yesterday and urged me to intervene before things got out of hand."

Anzu blinked, startled by this sudden information. Kaiba leaned against the limo, comfortably smoking his cigarette. "Yami thinks he has everyone fooled," he continued, tucking his unoccupied hand in his pocket. "Mostly, he does. Malik knows things and he wouldn't admit it, but he and Ryou have always been best friends and what Malik knows, Ryou is sure to know. I know things through my resources. I can throw every tentacle of my corporation into any dirty underworld and they wouldn't even know it. Now that I've given you a sort of prologue, let me get on to why I wanted to see you. First, your mother is still heavily involved in the underworld. She has a lot of money from her current dealings, and from what Hanazawa left her. She's dangerous. When she was with Hanazawa, I assume that she was a courtesan to lure in his enemies so that he could finish them. I wouldn't get too close to her, but try and make peace between her. The sooner you do that, the sooner I can leave this alone and the sooner she'll leave _you_ alone."

"Do you honestly think that she'll just give up that easily?" Anzu demanded. "My mother wants to be in my life _permanently_. She doesn't want an of-the-moment thing. She wants to try and make up for the time that she lost. She wants to be _forgiven_. I couldn't even pretend to forgive her. I hate her."

"I don't care what you feel for her. Hanazawa wishes were that she make peace with her ex-husband and daughter. That's the only reason I'm still in this goddamned city." He drew a last drag from his cigarette and flicked it on the ground, stepping on it to ensure that it was completely out. He crossed his arms and continued, "But I feel obligated to tell you one other thing, as Ryou was particularly worried after Malik told him about it."

"And what's that?" she asked moodily. She really wanted this meeting to be over.

"Yami's parents have been after him for years. They want to kill him. If you get in a relationship with him, you could be killed, too."

X

DIS: Phew. I wrote most of this chapter in one day when I skipped work. I know, bad me, bad me. I hope you guys liked this chapter. I felt I owed it to you after how mellow the last chapter was. Anyway, please leave a review and tell me how you liked it! Ciao!


	22. Windows are opening

DIS: Wow, thanks once again to everyone that reviewed and gave me feedback! I'm glad I'm still keeping the suspense factor in for you all. I apologize for the long wait. I try to keep people updated on why updates might be slow, what I'm doing in relation to writing via profile notes. Lately it's just been full of drama and although it's not entirely resolved, I'm in a much happier situation. In any case, here is the next chapter! Enjoy!

X

_Chapter Twenty-Two, Windows are opening_

Jounouchi sighed and glanced at the clock on his stereo. He was sitting at a red light and although he had not been there long, his mind wandered with the inactivity. The numbers read that it was almost a quarter past seven. There was a dull glow from the sunset, casting light hues across the sky, colouring the clouds the colour of a bruise. Across from him, yellow and red lights gleamed from cars as they idled diagonally across from him and traveled further away, down the street. And yet, his mind was not really on his surroundings. They were occupied by his conversation with Anzu. Her sudden interest – and notice – of his mood had startled him, shaking him out of his self-absorbed misery. He had been trying for so long to make it seem as if he was perfectly alright with divorcing Mai. Nothing could make him forget her and even if a part of him hated her, nothing could make him stop loving her, either.

_People say that they won't ever take back a cheater, _Jounouchi thought as he turned his eyes away from the clock and back to the red light. _It's the logical response. Cheating is never good, is always bad, and cheaters are not meant to be trusted in a relationship. I promised myself that nothing would make me take Mai back and I've stayed loyal to that so far. I won't ever forgive her for what she did to me, for ruthlessly breaking my heart, but despite all of that...I still want to be with her. I don't know why. I can't explain it. Watching Honda has made me remember when I used to be that idiotic. I would have stepped in front of a car for Mai if she asked it; I might as well have. Some days I don't feel like I'm even living._

The light abruptly turned green and Jounouchi moved his foot from the brake to the gas, plunging forward, the traffic gliding beside him and all around him. He glanced at the numbers again. It read seven-seventeen. He couldn't stand this. Everything reminded him of her. A clock, a tree, a leaf, even the dirt on the ground reminded him of her. There was always a memory. Simply looking at Rena reminded him of being in the delivery room with her, frightened to death, and having his circulation cut off as she held onto his hand. Every night when a sunset like this happened, he was reminded of her and he hated it. He hated missing her, hated knowing that he missed her, and hated knowing that she still loved him and that he still loved her. It was all so disgusting and yet so comical at the same time. The irony of it was simply too much.

_If she ever has me again, she'll just throw me away. She doesn't give a shit about me, _he thought bitterly, his hands tightening on the wheel. His foot pressed down on the pedal, the speedometer's lever gradually inching upward, past thirty-five, past forty. _Why the hell should she? She's just upset that she isn't controlling me anymore. That's the only reason she's miserable. She's lost at something. _It went higher and higher, up to sixty, and past sixty-five. _She hates losing. Even having Rena is a game to her. She's won so far because Rena is with her. She thinks I can't take care of her. She's probably laughing at me. _

A red light flashed in front of him and there was a steady stream of traffic. He blinked in dull surprise and stomped on the brake, causing a loud, high-pitched sound to emit from the rubber grinding against concrete. The pedestrians crossing had made a dash across the street, fearful of being hit. He had stopped right behind the crosswalk line. For a long moment, he sat with his hands clenched around the wheel and then slowly loosened his grip. Sighing, fell back in his seat.

"No," he mumbled to himself, "that's all a lie."

X

Kaiba's eyes narrowed slightly on the female standing in front of her. There was a stunned expression on her face, as if she was not sure she had heard him correctly. He remained relaxed, his arms folded over his chest as he watched the delicate play of emotions cross her face. She seemed to be struggling to process the last piece of information he had given her; he did not blame her. Hearing that someone's parents were trying to kill them was rather alarming, regardless of the person or what type of environment they grew up in. A few minutes passed with her continuing to stare blankly at the ground, which aggravated him somewhat. When she still did not say anything, he pushed away from the limo, uncrossing his arms. "Do you intend to continue to say nothing or would you like to continue the conversation?" he asked irritably. Anzu blinked and raised her eyes to his face at last.

"I...suppose we can," Anzu answered uncertainly, the first sign of weakness Kaiba had seen from the girl since he had met her. A dry smile tilted a corner of his mouth upward. Mentioning her own parents did nothing but cause a mild irritation, yet once Yami's parents were mentioned, she was reduced to just another typical female. "I don't think anything else you have to say is going to cause me anymore harm than what you just said, though," she added as an afterthought.

"I never said we were finished with that particular subject, Mazaki," he told her plainly. His hand moved to his pocket for another cigarette and with a firm clench of his fingers, he brought his hand down to his side, reminding himself that he had only just smoked.. "Yami caused a lot of trouble while he was with his parents - or so I was told. While involved in the criminal world, he was somewhat protected by Hanazawa. Once he left that protection, they could get to him more easily. He's evaded them so far. He's stayed in Domino before and this seems to be the one city where he's safe in for an extended amount of time. The longer he stays here, though, the more likely they are to learn that he is here." Kaiba sighed to himself. If there was one instance in which he could not deny his nicotine cravings, it was when he was in an agitated mood. He lit up another cigarette and continued, "His original plan was stay here for the concert that he was supposed to be playing and then move on to another city after a week or two of relaxing. Now that he's become your accompanist, though, and has feelings for you on top of that, he's going to end up staying much longer than is safe for him."

"He'll have to stay throughout the auditions...the practices...and then the actual time that the ballet will be performing at the opera. That could be _months_."

"Exactly my point. An astute deduction," Kaiba sarcastically said. "Yami doesn't stay in one place for months. Ever. I've dealt with his finances for a long time and any time that he contacted me, it was always in a different place and we both made certain that it was a private meeting. Once I realized why this was, it made sense why I was usually the one trying to get a hold of him. It was too much of a risk for him to call to another location from where he was." He took a drag of his cigarette and surveyed Anzu for a moment. "He's putting his entire life on the line for you just so that you can get a head start on your career. Do you know how much that means from a guy like him? He's been running for years and all of a sudden, you pop into his life and he throws away every caution that he developed for himself."

"I never knew," she murmured quietly. "I never knew or else I would have – "

"Would have done what?" Kaiba interrupted sharply. "There's nothing you could have done, nor is there anything that you _can_ do. Yami doesn't listen to other people and the only person he's ever listened to in his entire life was Hanazawa. Not simply because he lead everyone, either, but because he had respect for Hanazawa's intelligence. Do you honestly think he would ever listen to you? Even if you told him to go now so that he would be safe, he wouldn't listen. Yami doesn't love people. He doesn't even like them half the time. He's not here because he just cares for you. He's here because he wants to be with you. It would tear him apart if he left."

"I don't care," Anzu said stubbornly. "I'm not letting him get himself killed. I don't even get why they want to do that to him!"

"Partially because he was the only one Hanazawa really favored. He did what he had to, but he was never as 'great' as his parents were, which drives them crazy." Kaiba paused, taking a long, soothing drag of his cigarette and releasing the smoke from his thin lips. "In the beginning they were just going to drag him back. Now that he's been able to stay out of their reaches, they're pissed and want to kill him. These aren't rational people, Mazaki. They're criminals. Yami has unintentionally made himself out as the better of the three, by skill and by being clever. To them, he's not even their son and I'm sure he has no warm feelings for them, either."

"How horrible...To have no mother, to have no _father_, even. But I don't understand how you can know all of this without being involved in that circle of people." She sent him a suspicious look. Kaiba rolled his eyes at her and tossed his cigarette towards the street, where it landed in a rain gutter. He already knew that his knowledge of such things made his fellow businessmen wary of him and his intentions; he didn't care what they thought or felt about him. With the girl, however, he needed her trust so that he could persuade her to be more careful of her surroundings. If she was, Yami wouldn't have to worry as much about her and Kaiba wouldn't have to worry about Yami becoming even more suicidal than he currently was at the moment.

"In my line of business, it's necessary to have informants all around the world, in every city, so that I knew who my enemies are and who I can put a small ounce of trust in. I needed to know more about Yami and I used my resources in order to dig in his past."

"I don't feel that's very honest," Anzu said coldly.

"It isn't, but I'm a businessman. Companies don't flourish through honesty, which is something you should keep in mind." He fell silent, watching her. He could tell that she was battling with herself on whether she ought to believe him or not. He admired her tough exterior, but she had already shown him her weakness. It was interesting to see that so few days could make two people care so dearly for each other. It was clear by how much Yami had put himself out there that he cared for Anzu. The way in which Anzu had steadily broken down at the mention of Yami's parents only strengthened Kaiba's theory that Yami meant as much to her as she did to him. Kaiba didn't have the patience to ponder on the concept of love, as it was something that he had abandoned long ago when Mokuba died. It was Mokuba's death that made him give up on many things. But then, any other man would have felt the same if one of his colleagues had killed his brother. Grief passed through his mind briefly as he recalled the mistake that his associate had made, in believing that Mokuba's room had been his own. _The life of a businessman, _Kaiba thought bitterly. _I can't imagine why anyone would want such a life. _

For Kaiba, though, controlling a company was all he felt he was truly capable of.

"What should I do?" Anzu abruptly asked him, a defeated expression on her face. "I don't have time to find another accompanist and I don't think that Yami would even accept my firing him and getting a new one. I don't want to hurt him just so that he will be safe. I'm not sure if sending him away so that he'll live will be better if I'm just going to hurt his feelings..."

"I'm not asking you to send him away at this point," Kaiba explained, snapping out of his self-absorbed melancholy. "Right now you go throughout your life, completely oblivious. I need you to stop that. You need to be more aware of who you're looking at, what they're doing, and things like that. The more you observe, the less likely you are to get hurt. If Yami thinks you're somewhat capable of protecting yourself, then he won't worry _as_ much as he would. He needs to focus on his own well-being. He doesn't need to think about you, too." Anzu was clearly stung by how harsh the words came out, yet he didn't really care what she felt at the present. The only way he could communicate the seriousness of the situation was through being honest, if brutally so.

"You're right," she said after a pause, turning slightly when they heard the doors open. Otogi and Yami were exiting the opera house. By the warning glance Yami threw towards Kaiba, it seemed that the meeting would come to a halt even though Kaiba would have liked to gain her trust a bit more. She trusted his intellect, but not his overall character, for which he did not necessarily blame her. He did not try and make himself out a trustworthy type, after all. "This is kind of awkward, but...do you think we should not have a relationship, then?"

He considered the question for a moment. Kaiba had never been in a relationship himself, but he considered life and business an everlasting relationship and therefore could face the problem like he did with any other issue that rose in his life. He flicked a look from Anzu's earnest expression to Yami's slightly stressed face. In any other circumstances, he would have told her that it would be best to steer away from a relationship, yet with this he felt differently. From what he knew, Yami had only had short flings with women. This was the same for Kaiba, who needed some kind of relief every once in a great while. Yami had always yearned for something closer, though, whereas Kaiba needed nothing but business to keep him busy.

"If you are comfortable putting yourself in that kind of position, I see no reason why not to continue in a relationship with him," Kaiba carefully told her. Her face lit up a fraction and so he briskly added, "_However_...I will give you the same advice that I gave him. You two are business associates, as far as the public can see. The relationship will have to work in order for this business arrangement to continue. Relationships between associates rarely work out." His hand passed over his pocket and then he dropped it without much thought as to what he was doing.

"I know," Anzu told him and released a long sigh. "I've never done anything like this before."

"I suggest you focus your mind on the problem I've presented to you, then," he said in utter indifference. "Now that this conversation is more or less concluded, I have better things to do." He pushed off his limousine and moved to open the door to enter and then paused, turning back to eye her. She looked young standing by herself, a somewhat pensive expression on her face. When she turned rough and commanding, she seemed older. Now that he had stripped away her layers, he was reminded of her age and a familiar weakness stirred his heart. He pursed his lips in aggravation, hating that he actually had a soft spot in his dark pit of a soul. He removed a card from one of his pockets and sighed, handing it to her. She took it with a quizzical expression, turning her eyes down to the letters printed on it. "In case you need assistance with anything..._troublesome_." Only then did he step into his limousine and once it rolled away, she was standing at the curb by herself, his card still in her immobile fingers.

Anzu closed her fingers over the card and turned to see Yami and Otogi approaching her, the former with a somewhat anxious expression on his face. When he was only a few feet from him, she smiled reassuringly and took his hand. It felt unnaturally cold in her fingers.

"Don't worry," she said with a smile. "It's okay."

X

Malik strolled casually through the doorway of the office, Ryou following close behind. Ryou closed the doors and Kaiba, standing at the window, turned slightly to face them. Malik eyed the CEO thoughtfully. One thing he had always disliked about him was his innate ability to cover his emotions as well as he did. But, then again, it was also one of the things that he admired about him. There were very few men that could face threats as calmly as Kaiba did, with little or no repercussions. If anything, the threat dissolved or some kind of compromise was worked out. Malik was able to do such a thing, as well, but not nearly as good as Kaiba could. "Did things go well?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow. Kaiba, in his habitual fashion, was smoking languidly and appeared to be in deep thought. Malik had told himself he wouldn't get involved in this, but he liked Anzu and Yami deserved a normal life. No matter how much he disliked the man and his depressed, moralistic attitude, he felt some pity for him and assisting him in these matters was almost a duty.

"She took it rather well," Kaiba said mildly.

"I don't like this," Ryou quietly spoke up, moving to stand beside Malik. "This entire situation is just completely out of control. If Yami's parents find him in Domino, he'll lose his only place of refuge. It's bad enough that we've got Hanazawa's mistress here...She's a target as is. I just have a bad feeling about this. Yami should have been more cautious...He shouldn't have let himself get this close."

"Oh, shut the fuck up," Malik snapped exasperatedly. "Yami doesn't care about that and you know it. He wanted to get close to her and he probably bled himself out to her like the idiotic sap he is. The only thing that he hasn't indulged her on is his past. Kaiba had to do that for him because he's too much of a chicken shit!"

"Must you use foul language?" Ryou said in a sharp tone.

"It gives my speech some fucking flavor." Malik smirked when Ryou's eyes narrowed warningly at him.

"Enough," Kaiba said as Malik opened his mouth for another teasing retort. The two turned towards him in question. "I'm not interested in your immaturity tonight. I did as you both pestered me to do and it's done. What happens now is completely in their hands. If Yami doesn't completely lose his wits, he'll take precautions. He should know that he'll be here longer than he normally would and try to protect the only safe place he has. If he doesn't – well, then obviously he has less intelligence than I've given him." He took a drag off his cigarette and then sighed, forming a cloud around his head. "Unless I find anything disturbing, I don't intend on interfering in their relationship. If you were wise, neither would you two."

"He's already asked me to interfere," Malik stated plainly, rather aggravated with Kaiba's high-handed manner, "so thank you very much Mr. Hoity-Toity, but I can do as I wish. I'll be 'unwise' if I feel like it!" Kaiba rolled his eyes in revulsion.

"And what about Sakura?" Ryou queried. "Should we do anything about her?"

"...We'll keep an eye on her," Kaiba answered after a pause. He settled in his desk and put his cigarette out in an ashtray. "I don't trust her. Her connections with Hanazawa are too close. I wouldn't be surprised if she ends up being the reason that Yami's parents find him. No, that's one thing that I will meddle in if I must. I still have some control over her finances and I'll close her whole goddamn account if that's what I need to do."

"Hmm, I like that plan," Malik said with a grin. "Sounds malicious. I hate that bitch anyway."

"Don't we all?"

X

DIS: Well, I apologize for the shortness of this, but there are some things that I am planning that can't be jammed in this chapter. In any case, please leave a review, telling me how I did. I hope I haven't lost my touch in the months that I haven't been writing... Ciao!


	23. The days are rolling

DIS: Ughh...I am so sorry that I haven't updated for so long. No excuse is good enough. Trust me, I've had ideas for some time, but it's a matter of finding time to get them down. Thanks to **EVERYONE** that reviewed, you guys are awesome. I appreciate the support, you have no idea.

X

_Chapter Twenty-Three, The days are rolling_

Yami opened his eyes and sighed, staring at the clock that was blinking 3:06 A.M. He sat up in bed and pushed a hand through his hair, closing his eyes. The thin sheet slid from his torso, crumpling at his waist. Like any guy, he preferred to sleep in the nude, yet the room still managed to be too warm for him, even with the heater off. He drew a leg up and pushed a hand through his hair, leaning his elbow upon his knee. He had been trying to sleep since eleven when, after a long, unnecessary practice of Tchaikovsky's pieces, he had retired to bed. Nothing could make him sleep, though. His mind kept worrying and worrying about Anzu and Kaiba's conversation. The way she had looked when he had exited the opera house was foreign, an expression he had never seen on her face. It had unnerved him and she had seen that he was in such a state of mind.

_This is ridiculous,_ he thought, pinching the bridge of his nose. _Kaiba told me what he was going to tell her, it's not like I don't know. _But somehow, Yami knew that more was said than that of which he was aware. He had a fear that his past - which Kaiba knew very well - had been brought up. Kaiba was a loyal enough businessman; he kept his word and knew when things were not to be said. The matter of his relationship with Anzu, however, was a concern of Kaiba's and if he felt that doing something that would break his word would be better as a help rather than a hindrance, he would break his word. _I can't stop thinking about it. It's driving me crazy. I've been in bed for _four hours_ with it on my mind. _He released a frustrated breath and reached out to the bedside table where his phone was charging. He turned it in his hands meditatively and then set it back down. _What am I thinking? Calling either of them and asking about it would be stupid, let alone at this time._

At last, he tossed the sheet away and moved to the window seat where a pair of sweatpants were lying and pulled them on before leaving his room and going downstairs. As he traveled downstairs, he flipped lights on, filling the quiet house with a warm glow. He blinked against the brightness, forced to squint for awhile until he came to the kitchen. He filled a coffee cup with milk and put it in the microwave for a minute and a half and sat staring at the floor while the cup rotated within the machine. In any other case, he would have turned to alcohol. Lately, he simply did not feel that intoxicating himself would be a wise answer.

When the microwave beeped, he did not move to it immediately, continuing to gaze downward. As he removed the cup from the microwave, a sudden chime from the doorbell roused him from his thoughts. Frowning, he shut the microwave and set the steaming cup on the counter. Approaching the door, he vaguely wondered who it was that was visiting him so early in the morning. He unlocked the door and opened it, staring at the person on his doorstep for a long time.

"Back when you had manners, you would let me in without staring at me," Malik said conversationally.

"That was when you didn't call on me at three A.M. in the morning," Yami responded, allowing him entrance. "If you're so broke, where are you getting the money to come to my house all the time?" he added as he shut the door and locked it again. Malik paused, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Don't be so conceited. It's not just _you_ that I waste money on a cab to see. Actually, I took a cab to the place I was and bummed a ride here." He smiled. "Clever, isn't it? Actually, I wasn't even intending on coming here but my first choice destination – Ryou's – was too far away and I really wasn't interested on using more money on a cab." His eyes moved to the kitchen and he queried, "Can I have some cocoa, too?" Yami blinked. The question sounded ridiculously innocent and, coming from Malik's mouth, it sounded more than a bit odd.

"I don't care," he said at last, lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug. Yami returned to the kitchen to finish his cup of cocoa while Malik helped himself. Once again, the _whirr_ of the microwave filled the silent house. Yami leaned against the counter, blowing on the cocoa while watching Malik. Generally a very careless, laid-back sort of person, Malik did not have the look of a man with an agenda. Tonight, though, he seemed strangely on edge. Whatever business he had been to take care had caused some drama. Yami imagined it was that which led him from his destination. "Where were you at earlier at this time of night?"

"Taking care of some last minute business," Malik answered, snapping the microwave open as soon as the beep sounded. "It appears that Kaiba kept to his word and took care of that little financial concern of mine. In good time, as well." He moved to the counter and scooped cocoa into the warm milk, stirring it and allowing the milk to absorb it. "I can relax a little, but not until my finances begin to flow again. The more jobs I get, the more thankful I can be. This judging for the auditioning will give me a little money – nothing like what I am accustomed to with the ballets, of course, but that will come soon." Yami nodded slowly. "And what about you, why are you up so early?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"Obviously," was the sarcastic response he received.

"It's none of your business _why_ I couldn't sleep," he continued, "I simply can't. There is a lot on my mind." Malik eyed him and then took a cautious sip of his cocoa. Yami stared at the dark liquid in his cup and again, his thoughts returned to him. _If Kaiba has told Anzu about my parents, she may begin to pull away from me, as if to get me out of Domino. That would be safest...but I could not bear to think if they ever learned about her. She would be doomed and I would be unable to protect her. She doesn't realize that this town, this place of utter sanctuary for me, is my only weakness. And now, she has become part of that weakness. _"After the auditions, I may need a favor from you. From Ryou and Otogi, for that matter." Malik turned his eyes back to him to acknowledge him. "It would be best if I left Domino for a week or so, at the very least. To lead my parents away from here and put my traces in a few other places. If Anzu gets the part for Odette, I will need her to continue to practice. I can record tapes for the accompaniment so that she wouldn't go entirely on Otogi's violin playing. I cannot risk staying here for much longer."

"Ironic," Malik murmured.

"What?"

"I was merely thinking the same thing," he lightly told him. "How long have you been thinking about this? All night?"

"Yes...Domino is the only place I can be at ease at. I hope that it will not hurt Anzu's chances too much."

"They don't give out the parts altogether, but carefully go through them. It would be best if you get back before they start the actual practices. She can borrow an accompanist for a bit so long as she tells them that you are on a brief vacation, but if you're gone for too long, they may begin to reconsider. Keeping their accompanist on will drain their money and that isn't something they're willing to do."

"How much time do you think I have?"

"Two weeks at the most. And that's pushing it, even."

Yami took a drink of his cocoa, a worried look on his face. "I had hoped to be away for four weeks, but I suppose I will take what I can get. I told Anzu that I would be her accompanist and I intend on keeping to my word."

Malik held his cup in his hand next to his face, peering over it at the male. He should have known that Kaiba's sudden interest in Anzu would cause him to begin to question the intelligence in his lack of mobility as of late. However, Kaiba would not have even bothered if not for his and Ryou's persistence. Had Malik or Ryou spoken to Anzu privately, it might not have had the same effect on the gloomy pianist. Malik took a drink of his cocoa and turned his eyes to the ground thoughtfully. His own position in Domino would be at risk if Yami's parents traveled through here. He needed to judge the auditions for the little money that he would receive from the job. They disliked him almost as much as their son, simply not enough to hunt him down and try to end his life. Although he was sure that there was a clear possibility of that if he pushed them too far. If they ended up here, he had a feeling he would, as usual, lack the self-control to be wise in what he said to them and end up as Enemy Number One, on the same level as Yami.

_That would be unfortunate,_ he mused to himself mildly.

Yami moved to the sink and washed his empty cup out saying, "Well, I am going back to bed to try and sleep. Tomorrow I'll make arrangements so that I will be prepared to leave immediately after the auditions." He rubbed his forehead. "I hope it will be enough."

"If not, then we are going to have serious problems here and you know it," Malik told him, lifting a finger to point at Yami. "Don't bullshit yourself into thinking you're safe, Yami. That's been your problem ever since Anzu came into your life from what it seems. That's what always got to people that Hanazawa was after. They convinced themselves they were okay, that they had secured a place where he couldn't find them, and he let them believe that. Your parents use that same method with people they are looking for and it would be in your best interests to remember that. Or else you're fucked."

"I'm aware," Yami said stiffly. "I _do_ know how that world works. Don't forget I was a part of it at one point in my life."

"I never forget it," Malik calmly told him, "but sometimes I think you do."

There was a pause in which their eyes met. Yami broke the gaze first and left the kitchen, presumably to return to bed as he had said he would. Malik finished his cocoa and rinsed his cup out, setting it in the sink. He took a look around him and then turned off the light and settled on the couch in the living room to sleep. For him, his sleep was immediate. No matter what troubled thoughts he had, he could always get over them.

X

The doorbell rang close to nine a.m., jarring Mai from her work. She had been up since five, having been woken up from a particularly unpleasant dream. After getting Rena her breakfast when she woke up at seven, she had been going through her desk, organizing things and removing old paperwork and sending it through the shredder. It was a mind-numbing process, but kept her busy and kept her distracted. Unfortunately, she also discovered some old photographs and notes in her desk. She had found a tin in the very back of one of her drawers with folded sticky notes, short things written on them from Jounouchi. One said, "Remember: I'm better than coffee in the morning!" and another, shorter one said, "I love my wife," with a huge smiley face underneath it. It had startled her, as she had forgotten about the small, sweet things he used to do for her, and she ended up closing the tin and chucking it across the room. It only opened an old wound in her heart.

"Daddy!" Rena screeched from the hallway. Mai froze in the process of rising to her feet and closed her eyes, hoping that she had misheard her daughter. She sent a prayer to whatever deity was listening, but then she heard Jounouchi's cheerful voice and her daughter's squealing laughter and knew that she was to be eternally damned for life.

She rose to her feet and drew in a deep breath, calming her racing heart and wishing her stomach would stop churning with anxiety. After a few seconds, she left her office room and walked to the entrance hall to see Rena hanging from her father's neck, a huge grin spreading her mouth upward. Mai smiled slightly and then saw that Jounouchi was watching her when she raised her eyes to his face and the smile fell away.

"Hey," he greeted.

"Hi. I didn't know you were coming by," she said.

"Me neither!" Rena chirped, completely oblivious to the tension between them. "Are you going to take me out somewhere, daddy? Do I get ice cream or – " Her words were cut off as Jounouchi laughed and dislodged her from him, setting her on the ground, smoothing a hand over her hair.

"No, not today," he said. "Why don't you go off and play for a bit, okay? I'm going to talk to your mom for a bit and then we're going to have a chat." He winked at his daughter, whose face had fallen. "Can you do that for me?" She hesitated and then smiled and gave a big nod, twirling around and running back up to her room, tripping up the steps in her haste. Jounouchi chuckled and then turned his attention back to Mai. "So, what are you up to?"

She shrugged, attempting an air of nonchalance. "Cleaning out my desk." The sticky notes returned to her mind and she cleared her throat, irritated that she should think of them. "Getting rid of old papers that aren't needed and trying to organizing things." She turned from him, moving to the kitchen. Her throat felt parched, as if she had just gone a two-mile run. "And what about you? I didn't think we needed to talk about anything." Her voice sounded testy, even to her own ears, but she ignored it and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

Jounouchi sat at the kitchen table and leaned forward, his elbows propped on it and his arms stretched across it, almost reaching the other end. His brow furrowed as his drummed his fingers on the top and then he sighed. "I guess I don't really know why I came over here. You, uh...know that Otogi and Shizuka are together?"

"Yeah," she replied, averting her gaze from him.

"Well, honestly, Otogi hasn't been coming over as often as he used to be. It hasn't even been that long since they got together. Now, you know him better than I do. You think that he's lost interest in her or something or am I just being paranoid? I mean, I'd like to think that he wouldn't cheat on her or anything like that, but really, I don't know."

Mai blinked and turned her gaze from the wall she had been staring at to look at him. He was simply looking at her, a relatively neutral expression on his face. In that moment, she wanted to punch him. She could hear the sentence behind his words: "Since _you_ had cheated before, I would figure _you_ would know." She didn't even care if that's really what he meant or not. She carefully set her cup down to avoid throwing it at him and needing to clean juice off the walls and floor later. "And I would know because I'm a cheater," she coldly said. Her warm feelings for him and the ache of missing him that she felt earlier was gone, washed by anger and a bit of hatred. "And I'm a liar and I have experience in those kinds of things."

A somewhat baffled expression crossed his face. "What? I didn't even say that."

"No, you_ implied_ it," she snapped. He simply stared at her, dumbfounded. "Why can't you get let one mistake go already? Why can't you just get over it and move on? You do realize I'm human, right? What am I supposed to do, just say fuck you to my instincts?"

"Would you calm down?" Jounouchi said, scowling and getting to his feet. "I wasn't even implying anything! And, FYI, it was a mistake that you repeated! I can forgive once and can give a second chance, but not when it seems like you don't care and just wanted to break my heart. And yeah, if you had any morals, you would just tell your instincts to fuck off."

"Well, guess what? I didn't grow up with as good of morals as you!" She stormed over to him and violently shoved him. Because he was off guard, he stumbled back and nearly tripped over the chair behind him. "So _you_ fuck off! Go! Get out! Just get the hell away from me if I'm such an awful, horrible person! If I'm so worthless!"

"I never called you worthless," he said angrily.

"I don't care what you think about me anymore, just _go_ already!"

"Dammit, Mai, calm down already. You're manipulating yourself into thinking things that I never said or even think."

"Sure," Mai sneered. "_Sure_ you don't think that. I'll answer your question, then, Jounouchi. Otogi's a little better person than I am and wouldn't do that to your sister. Sorry nobody can be as good as you. I'm sure that you would think everyone who associates with me is a cheater – they're not!" She knew she had blown that out of proportion somewhat, but she didn't care. Her eyes kept straying to the cup of orange juice, wanting to throw it at him so bad. He had always been good at dodging things she threw at him, though, so she knew that was pointless.

"Whatever," he said, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'm not going to do this with you right now. All I was trying to do was restart, to try again as friends, but if I can't talk openly with you, there isn't any point."

Mai held the scathing comment that she wanted to throw at him as left the kitchen. She heard the door close and when she did, she closed her eyes and grasped her hair, breathing hard in frustration. When she had regained some control, she dumped out the orange juice. But as she stared at the empty glass, she just remembered the stupid look on Jounouchi's face and got angry all over again. She chucked the glass at the opposing wall. There was the sound of shattering glass and a small scream. She blinked and looked to the doorway and felt all her anger melt away into guilt, seeing Rena huddled against the wall, her eyes watering with fear.

"Oh, Rena, I'm so sorry..." She hurried to her daughter, who shrunk away when she was a few feet near her. Mai stopped in her steps, stung by the action. Her heart tore as she realized that her daughter was afraid of her. "You don't have to be afraid," she murmured softly, kneeling and holding her arms out. "I'm sorry." Rena sniffled and toddled forward, falling into Mai's arms. She lifted her up and held her tightly against her, closing her eyes against the burning sensation behind her eyes. "I will never hurt you. _I promise._"

And, out of all the promises that Mai had made and broken in her life, this was one she was determined to keep.

X

DIS: I was listening to the songs, Heartbreak Warfare by John Mayer and Circles by Hollywood Undead, when I was writing this. Oh, good songs. Out of all the relationships in this story, I love writing Mai's and Jounouchi's the most. In any case, again I am sorry that this ended up being short again. But then again, people did say they preferred short chapters. Well, what do you think? Do you prefer this length for chapters or the longer ones? Please leave a review, telling me how you liked it! Ciao!


	24. A little insight

_Chapter Twenty-Four, A little insight _

There was the sound of a coffee pot bubbling in Sakura's empty home, filling it with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. She watched as the coffee dripped into the glass container, leaning against the counter. She had only recently woken up and was holding her robe together. She turned her face towards the kitchen, where the sun spilled inside, warming her face. Despite having never lived in Domino, the place reminded her of her ex-husband. Overall, it was a warm city, and it reminded her of Seiji's gentle, friendly personality. She closed her eyes and breathed in the smell of coffee. Even though she had been in love with Jiiro and had stayed with him for a long time, there were still the scents and things that reminded her of Seiji, who she had loved enough to marry and with whom she shared a child. Even now, years later, she bought his favorite coffee, less out of habit and more of a way to keep him close to herself.

"_Do you know what this is, Sakura?" Seiji asked, walking into the small bedroom of his apartment. She turned, her hair spilling over her shoulders. She smiled lazily, looking at him standing in the doorway with a steaming cup in his hand and nothing covering his body. They had been together for a nearly six months by this time and although he was always suggesting she move in with him, she resisted, knowing that was far too big of something for two people to do. So, she stayed the night at his apartment on the weekends and sometimes on the weekdays when she felt like bringing her things for the next day._

"_If it's tea, I would love a cup," she answered._

"_Don't be silly," he mocked, moving to her and slipping in the covers. His legs were cold against her shoulder, but she moved closer anyway, draping an arm over his thighs that were covered with hair. "The most amazing drink in the world," he announced, holding it up as if he were making an offering to the gods. She raised her eyebrows at him, appearing amused. "More importantly, the most delicious coffee in the world." _

"_Have you drank all the coffee in the world, Seiji?" she demanded to know, smirking up at him._

"_My smart-mouthed dear, I don't need to drink it all to know that there will never be anything that tastes more delectable than this brand of coffee," was his curt response. He lowered the cup and took a drank, closing his eyes as he did so. He sighed afterward, a smile curving his lips upward. Sakura watched him curiously. "Beautiful."_

_She laughed. "Only you would call coffee beautiful."_

"_Actually," he said, opening his eyes, "I was referring to this - sitting in bed right here, drinking my coffee, and having my beautiful woman lying beside me. What could be a more perfect moment?"_

_She sat up and took his cup from him and kissing him on the mouth. She could taste the coffee on his lips and when she withdrew, she took a drink of the coffee, which she admitted was rather good. "Making love to me?" she suggested, kissing him again._

"_No," he took the cup back from her, "not even that, Sakura." She met his eyes and then smiled and in that moment, she was certain that he was the man she would marry._

Sakura drifted from the flashback, noticing that the house was silent again. She turned her head to look at the coffee pot, seeing that the glass canister was full. She sighed and pushed away from the counter and got out a coffee cup from the cupboard and poured herself a cup, adding a generous amount of sugar and French Vanilla creamer to it. Afterward, she sat at the table and sipped at the warm liquid, staring absent-mindedly out the window.

_I was sure that he was the only man that I would ever have eyes for again, _she mused. _He was everything to me. There are so few men that could honestly say that they hold their woman above all else, much less above their passions. _She paused, setting her cup down. _He was the only one who really saw me as more than an object. I'm not even sure that Jiiro really felt that way for me...I wonder if I should have told Anzu that. Would she have seen me in a higher esteem had I expressed the doubts I felt while with Jiiro? I'm comfortable in my life now, I won't deny that, and I'm happy that I am, but at the same time, was it worth it? _

She pushed the cup away and folded her arms on the table, burying her face in them and crying softly to herself. Her sad breathing turned into broken, pathetic sobs. _I miss Seiji. I miss Anzu. I miss Jiiro. _

"I don't want...to be alone...anymore," she hiccupped and then slammed a hand on the table, sloshing hot coffee all over the table. Some of it burned her hand and she jumped up with a startled cry, holding her hand to her chest. She was still crying, a mess of damp hair from tears, standing in the kitchen, sniffling. She closed her eyes, tears continued to pour from the corners. Frustrated, she dropped back into the chair and hung her head back, releasing a long, wailing sound.

X

Mai woke up to the sound of the doorbell ringing. Rena was curled against her chest and her tiny head jerked up, knocking against Mai's chin. She flinched as her teeth clicked together. "Rena...," she mumbled irritably. She daughter rolled away from her, blinking bleary eyes at her. Mai ran a hand over the girl's head and then stumbled to her feet. She was sure she looked terrible, but rather than care, she left downstairs and flung the door open, glaring at whoever was standing there. Unfortunately, it was Anzu, who waved cheerfully at her. Groaning, Mai said, "No, it's too early for being happy." Anzu's smile slipped away and she gave her a confused look.

"Don't be a grump," Anzu said, allowing herself in. "Me, Yami, and a few others are going out for breakfast. I thought you and Rena might like it." Mai was shutting the door and after she had, she paused, an anxious look crossing her face. Without missing a beat, Anzu added, "Jounouchi and Honda had to go on a move today, so they won't be joining us. Shizuka and Otogi will be, though."

"That's fine," Mai answered, relieved. She sighed, leaning against the door, pushing a hand through her tangled hair. "I'm glad. We had a...pretty bad fight, actually." She opened her eyes to meet Anzu's gaze to see if she had heard of the fight in speaking. Anzu's face did not show that she had any knowledge of the fight, only concern for those involved. Mai smiled reassuringly and waved a hand. "I'm okay. I just really can't face him right now."

"How long ago was this?" Anzu queried worriedly.

"Two or three days ago, I can't remember exactly. I scared Rena badly...She's been sleeping in bed with me ever since. I feel like such a terrible mother, Anzu." She shook her head, an ashamed expression on her face. "I need to stop letting this eat at me. But every time he talks to me...every time I see him, I feel like he's judging me, as if he's superior to me. Of course... he is, but my pride won't admit that. And when I'm facing him, I let it get the best of me." She sighed heavily and threw her arms to her sides. "I'm so lost."

"You need to stop thinking about it," her friend said, moving forward and putting a hand on her arm. "The more you think about it, the less it will make sense and the more worried you're going to get about it. I think you need to just have some down time, Mai, and relax." Mai looked at her dubiously. "It'll make you feel better. Come on, why don't we get you and Rena to go out. I told them I'd come pick you up and then we'd meet them at the restaurant. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good, hun." She hesitated and then told her, "Thanks."

Anzu smiled. "No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

They got Rena bathed and clothed and Anzu was given the task of taking care of her hair so that Mai could get in the shower. As soon as she did, her taut, stressed muscles seemed to relax somewhat. She put a hand on the tile in the bathroom while the water spilled over her shoulders and back, massaging it. She straightened up, smoothing her long hair from her face, allowing the warm water to caress her face. She was far more thankful to Anzu than her friend probably realized. She couldn't remember the last time that she had really had someone that she could rely on the way that she did Anzu. _No, that's not true, _she corrected herself, lathering soap over her body, forming a foam. _The last time I trusted someone this much and put so much faith in one person was with Jounouchi._ Mai tried to eject any thoughts of him from her mind, but it was near impossible. _It never was easy not to think about it, _she thought sadly. Even in the beginning when it had only been a flirtation, Mai found herself thinking of him longer than she would with the other guys, the only reason she had taken the flirtation to another level and when he began to stay in her mind all day, she had known she was caught and wanted him for herself and she knew that he was of the same mind as her.

_Strange how you look back at how infatuated you were then compared to how hateful you are now, _she reflected after washing all the soap from her body and hair and turned off the water. _At the time, you think that nothing can possibly make me do something to hurt this person, I love them, they're perfect, and then later...you fuck it all up, you push a sword through their heart, and you laugh at them as they're bleeding. _She turned on the fan and wiped the mirror of the condensation that had formed, fogging it up.

"You had your chance," she whispered to her reflection. "It's time to accept reality."

X

Shizuka looked up from the menu that she was perusing as the door to the restaurant opened. The table was filled with wakeful chatter. Otogi was sitting by Ryou and the two of them were talking animatedly. On Ryou's other side was Malik, who appeared bored out of his mind and was staring down at his menu, occasionally taking a drink of his water. Beside him was Yami, who was as silent as Malik. He, too, looked up when the door opened. His smiles and conversation thus far had been half-hearted and it was apparent that there were other things occupying his mind. The smile he directed towards Anzu, however, was genuine and he stood up to pull out her seat. Afterward, he took Rena from Mai, raising her above him. She squealed in delight, pushing her hands in his arm.

"Well, well, it's been awhile since I've seen you," he told Rena, lowering her. Her arms locked around his neck and she cuddled close to him as though he were Jounouchi. Shizuka watched it with some curiosity, as she had never seen Rena react to Yami before now. It was clear that she was fond of him, regardless of how little she had been around him. Her eyes moved to Mai. Jounouchi had come home raging about her a few days ago, so she knew the weary look in her eyes to be due to that.

"Mai," Shizuka spoke up, standing up, smiling. "It's good to see you." Mai smiled weakly in return. "I have something out in Otogi's car for you, actually, if you wouldn't mind coming with me to get it?" Otogi handed Shizuka the keys silently, despite his quick, confused look. Mai looked from him to her and then nodded, following her once sister-in-law outside. Shizuka continued to Otogi's car and unlocked it and popped the trunk. Rather than getting something, she deposited her purse in the trunk, which she had found burdensome and annoying in the tight space of the table. "I know you probably don't care...but I really wish that you and Jounouchi would stop picking fights with each other." She shut the trunk and then locked the car, the lights flashing briefly.

"I would like that, too," Mai responded neutrally.

Shizuka had been considering talking to Mai for some time, but had never had the courage to face her alone. After talking to Otogi about it, though, he encouraged her to speak with her and felt that it might help Mai relax a little more about the state of her relationship with other people. "At the moment," he had explained, "she's feeling really defensive, as the entire world is out to get her. It's what caused her to lash out at Anzu initially and it's part of what's causing her to constantly get in fights with Jounouchi. She's vulnerable...people just don't know it."

"Nobody hates you for what you did," Shizuka continued a bit cautiously. "I think the only person who really holds it against you is Jounouchi and I don't even know about that sometimes." Mai dropped her gaze to the ground and Shizuka's eyes softened, seeing the sad downturn of her mouth. "Mai...You don't have to deal with everything by yourself." She hesitated and then moved a bit closer, putting a hand on her arm. Mai stiffened slightly. "If you would just let people help, you would see that there are people willing to be there for you. Even Jounouchi would try to help if you both would stop fighting every time you talk."

Mai snatched her arm from Shizuka's touch and stepped back, saying, "That's what happens when your relationship is torn apart by something like that, Shizuka. You fight, as hard as that may be for you to understand." Shizuka was stung by her words, but did not cry, despite feeling otherwise.

"I just want to help you two," she said in a wounded voice.

"Well, I don't want your help!" Mai snapped. "I never asked for anyone's help! You don't get stronger by leaning on everyone as if they're a crutch. You don't get anywhere in life. I don't need help from Jounouchi's sister, much less. How could I possibly trust _you?_ You'd go running back to Jounouchi to report every little thing that I've said. At least I know that Otogi won't do that – but now I can't even talk to him without fear of him telling you. Everywhere I go, there's someone more loyal to Jounouchi than me." She glared hatefully at Shizuka, who stood, stunned, unable to say anything. "I don't have to deal with this. If this all you had to say to me – "

"Mai," Shizuka spoke up as the latter female turned to leave. "Please...I really do worry about you."

"Then worry about it to yourself," Mai coldly said over her shoulder. "I don't need help. I'm fine." With that said, she walked away from Shizuka, returning to the restaurant. Shizuka remained standing beside the car, a crestfallen expression covering her face. She had hoped to become closer with Mai and help her, but instead she had made their meager relationship even less friendly than before.

As soon as Mai returned to the table, Yami could tell that she was upset. Not necessarily in the usual, near-tears way, but by the slight tremble in her hands as she smoothed Rena's hair from her face, he could tell that she was angry. When she caught him surveying her, she hastily smiled and then struck up a conversation with Malik, of all people. The two of them almost immediately got caught up in a conversation of the things they hated most in life, with Mai declaring that she hated men and Malik saying that he hated women. That, in turn, led into a decidedly heated and excitable argument.

"Does Mai seem a bit agitated to you?" Yami murmured to Anzu after each of them had ordered and were waiting for their food. Otogi had ordered for Shizuka and after she returned, she smiled reassuringly at him. Anzu looked at Yami curiously and then took note of Mai's conversation with Malik and then glanced at Shizuka, who seemed to be troubled by something.

"Something Shizuka said must have upset her," Anzu quietly responded. Yami gave her a puzzled look, as if asking if she might know what it could have been. "It must have had to do with Jounouchi. I can't think of anything else that they would have to talk about unless it involved Rena." Yami nodded slowly, frowning. "I had hoped for this to be a relaxing breakfast for Mai...I wish Shizuka hadn't said anything to her. It really was only counterproductive."

"On the bright side, her and Malik seem to be becoming good friends," Yami said in an attempt at humor. Anzu glanced at the two and smiled as they burst into sudden laughter. "Anzu, do you ever worry about yourself?" he asked in a low voice, peering at her intently.

"Well, sure – " she began. He raised his eyebrows skeptically. She paused and then gave a sheepish smile. "I do, Yami. I mean, I've gone through all this trouble to train for the auditions, haven't I? And I told Kaiba off for you so that my training wouldn't get interrupted. If you think about it, I'm actually really very selfish." He laughed.

"I'm sure you'd like to think of it that way." He reached under the table and clasped her thigh briefly, squeezing it and then removing his hand. Her thigh burned where his hand had been and she would never admit that the touch had flustered her somewhat. She chuckled and turned her head, her hair dropping down to cover her face and the warmth of her cheeks. She bit her lip nervously, feeling a silly grin play at the corners of her mouth. When she looked up from the table, she saw Otogi and Shizuka watching her, Otogi with a wry expression upon his face. Blushing embarrassedly, she cleared her throat and turned back to Yami, who thankfully had his attention captured by Rena.

"I can't wait for the auditions," Ryou said towards Anzu, smiling at her. "It's getting so close to being time. It's sort of like an interview," he added musingly. "You test yourself hard, remember all the things that are needed, dress nice, and all you can hope is that you're the candidate needed for the position. But no matter how little experience you have, you convince them that you're perfect."

"I don't know...," Anzu slowly said to him, somewhat bashfully. "I know I've trained really hard and done everything like I should have, but it feels like I'm missing something in the entire production."

"A sexy outfit," Mai and Malik both declared. They glanced at each other, surprised. Yami raised an eyebrow at them from his conversation with Rena, who was going on about unicorns.

"You have to have something that will make them go, 'wow!'" Mai continued, smacking a fist emphatically. "Look at that body you've got – it's tone, it's slim, and you're as busty as I am." She parted her jacket to emphasize exactly what it was that she meant by busty. It was clear that whatever complaining that she and Malik had engaged in had successfully brought her moods back up. "You need an outfit that shows that body off _and_ fits the character of whatever you're going for. Sure, it's just an audition, but it'll show style. It'll show how much the crowd is going to love you and what you're willing to do to get that part." There was an agreed murmur. Even Yami seemed to be considering this.

"I would," Anzu conceded, "but that's a lot of money...and I still haven't paid Yami." She felt embarrassed when she said this. Not only had they never discussed the price needed to be paid for his services, but she had not once brought it up since she had found him as an accompanist. So many other things seemed to have happened. _Strange how close I've gotten to him in such a short amount of time, _she thought briefly.

"Consider him a loan," Mai said flippantly, as if the pianist were not even at the table. Anzu's mouth dropped open in shock at her audacity and looked at Yami, horrified, meaning to apologize; however, his mouth was tilted upward in amusement. "Listen, the business world is full of transactions that develop into debt." She pushed her hair away and not for the first time, Anzu was struck by how beautiful she was and how confident she appeared when speaking. It was clear that business was that which impassioned Mai, perhaps because she was such a good saleswoman. "That debt can both rule your life and lead you to deadlier roads or it can sit there for a while and then in one final act it's completely gone. It's a matter of the person you're in debt to and the time that you can get away with not paying them. It's all about calculating chances."

"True enough," Otogi agreed amiably.

Anzu glanced at Yami through the corner of her eye. Rena had pulled her chair closer and was hugging him around the waist, a sleepy look upon her face. Yami was rubbing her shoulders and appeared to feel Anzu's gaze upon his face, for he looked up questioningly. She smiled quickly and looked away. She wondered when she was going to run out of time to pay him.

By the time their food arrived, everyone was in good spirits. Once they had finished their meals, they ordered desserts and began to part. Otogi and Shizuka were the first to leave, partly because Shizuka needed some time away from Mai to re-evaluate her approach. Rena was beginning to get tired and falling asleep, so Mai was inclined to leave next.

"Maybe I'll join you," Malik said once she had returned from paying her portion of the bill and was gathering her daughter in her arms. Mai paused, eyeing him thoughtfully, before flashing a saucy smile. The smile matched Malik's suggestive smirk, leaving the remainder of the group to know exactly what was in their mind. "I have nothing better to do and did so enjoy our conversations today."

"Sounds like a plan," she agreed, "but you can find your own way home. I have things to be done."

"Malik," Anzu spoke up as he was collecting his jacket, "I wanted to ask you something really quick before you left." She smiled a tight, hard smile. "Privately?"

He rolled his eyes, saying exasperatedly, "Yes, alright."

Mai went ahead of him and Anzu pulled him down between her and Yami, hissing, "Just what do you think you're doing? She's emotionally imbalanced right now and still in love with another man and you want to sleep with her?"

"Oh, don't be such a prude, Anzu," he said with a tone of disgust in his voice, pulling away. "She's interested, I'm interested, why not let two people you know fuck around so that we can distract ourselves from our shitty lives, hmm?" He paused. "Maybe if you got laid you wouldn't be so sensitive about it." He nodded slightly towards Yami, who frowned at him. "See you later." He waved and moved towards the front to pay his part of the meal.

"Anzu?" She raised her eyes to Yami's. "Don't worry about him. Or Mai, for that matter. She's an adult. She wouldn't invite him if she didn't want him." A stung expression crossed her face. "You don't need to look out for everyone, you know. Meddling will only get you in trouble and I think, for this, you should just opt out." He rose to his feet and said quietly, "I'll go pay for yours and my bill." After he left, Anzu stared at where he had been seated, stunned.

"Is he right, Ryou? Do I meddle?" she asked softly.

"You should just focus on you for now, Anzu," Ryou gently told her.

When he left as well, Anzu watched him meet Yami at the register and saw them exchange a smile and talk in murmurs for a moment. She looked away when Yami raised his eyes from Ryou to look at her. She felt deeply offended by being called a meddler, even though it was meant kindly. _It's not as if I want to be involved in everyone's problems_, she moodily thought, _but what else am I supposed to do? Get attached to someone or be friends with them and not be afraid that they're going to get hurt? _She seethed to herself for a moment and then stood up and met Ryou and Yami in front. _Well, they can act like that, but I'm not like that. I can't be indifferent when I think something bad is going to happen. _"I have to get to the café here soon, so I'm going to head out," she told them. Yami looked surprised by this.

"Oh, so soon?" he queried, appearing somewhat disappointed.

She offered a small smile. "It's a pretty set schedule, Yami," she told him a bit more coldly than intended. "I'll...see you guys later. Thanks for buying me breakfast. It was really sweet of you." She brushed a hand on his shoulder in thanks and then hurried out of the restaurant. Yami watched her, a confused expression on his face, his credit card still in hand.

"Women," Ryou sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "They certainly do get upset easily, don't they?"

"I guess so...," Yami murmured vacantly.

X

Mai opened her eyes and blew out a long breath. She was slumped over the edge of her bed and Malik was lying on the floor, both out of breath and sweaty. Her legs were still shaking and it took an effort to draw herself onto the bed. There she lied, breathing hard to catch her breath and to comprehend what had just happened. Since she had gotten divorced, she had more or less dedicated herself to Rena and to her work. She had gone out drinking a few times, made out with a few bar junkies, but it wasn't all that satisfying. She still drank at home occasionally, but it had been quite a long time since she had slept with a man. It had been an even longer time since she had slept with a man that she was actually attracted to and to whom she found she connected. Granted, she connected with Malik in the way that she connected with Otogi and more of in a "I'm bitter with the world" sort of way. Nonetheless, it was a connection.

"You know," Malik drawled from the floor, "that has got to be the longest fuck I've had with any woman."

"Yeah? Sure you remember all the girls you've been with?" she retorted, pushing her hair from her face.

"Touché, my dear."

Mai stared at the ceiling, listening to the low hum of music from the radio that she had turned on to smother some of the sound so that Rena would not wake. The room was quiet and still, a strange feeling compared to how wild it had been a moment ago. Her heart was still attempting to return to its normal pace. She remembered the other men, the men before Jounouchi and the men while she was with Jounouchi. The men before usually took what they wanted and left. As she got older and went for older men, they would stay for a bit and guffaw about how great it was and act like a modern Julius Caesar, as if they had conquered an empire. With Jounouchi, it had been quiet and after they had cooled off, he would roll towards her and hold her, giving a contented sigh. _And then he would say, "I love you, Mai. You're the perfect woman for me.",_ she added silently to herself.

"Thinking about another man?" Malik asked. She blinked and turned to see him leaning against the bed, his head propped up by his hand.

"What makes you say that?"

"I know women," he stated simply, "and I'm not ignorant of your relationship situation. It's hard when you work with a woman who is constantly worrying over all of her friends' problems." He paused and then asked, "Am I right?"

"I don't want to talk about Jounouchi. Don't go ruining a great time, Malik." He climbed on the bed and she turned her face from him as he neared her. He leaned down and turned her head towards his. His eyes surveyed her face. She was struck by how handsome he was, just as she had been when she met him that day. His body was perfect, built as a dancer's body ought to be, and his mouth when it met hers was warm and moved perfectly on hers.

"Sometimes it's easier to talk to a stranger about things than it is to someone you know," he told her when he withdrew. She stared at him, her brow beginning to furrow. "I'm a good listener."

She sighed. "Why are you so interested?"

"Because I'm bored," he admitted, "and I want to get a few more fuck arounds with you before you go back to him." She raised her eyebrows. "C'mon, we both know that once you do all that shit that women do in novels – find themselves, become stronger, whatever – you're going to go back to him and you'll both cry and blah, blah, blah. Okay, you know, go ahead and do that, but first step is talking about it and you don't want to talk to anyone else, so might as well talk to me and we can get laid while we're at it. We both enjoy it, you get to let some steam off, and it's a useful tool in dealing with my stress, so we're both happy in the end. So...," his hand skimmed her body briefly, "how about it?"

Mai considered everything he said and with a few exceptions, she supposed he was right.

"Alright...I think I can handle that."

He grinned. "Excellent."

_TBC_

X

DIS: Holy...well, I just want to thank everyone who has been reviewing in the last couple months – and for those who have been reviewing in the past few YEARS. I was stuck on a part in this chapter for the longest time. I didn't know what to do and finally decided just to wing it today after I went on here for the first time since November and felt so guilty that I opened this file up and just started typing. So, I know it was focusing more on Mai more than anyone else, but I needed to give her character some more depth and turn her towards where she needs to be going. Anzu and Yami are going where they need to be and everyone else is, too. So...with that said, I guess please leave a review on your way out and hopefully updates will be faster than a year from here out. No guarantees, though! Ciao!


	25. Soft, blooming petals

DIS: Wahh, a bit of a slow update...but at least not as slow as last time! :P I started getting back into classical music and instrumental/piano music. Right now my current obsession is Jia Peng Fang's "Water Lily." It's gorgeous. In any case, thanks to every single person who reviewed, I love each and every one of you. To the person who asked me to delete it, umm, I'd like some more details as to why you hate it so much, what's wrong with it, etc. With that said, enjoy the next chapter!

X

_Chapter Twenty-Five, Soft, blooming petals_

Anzu heard her phone ring, but ignored it. Her eyes closed, she spun around in slow turns, feeling the escaped strands of hair hitting her face. There was a pause in which the room was silent save for the music coming from her stereo and then her phone began to ring again. And, as she had the past four times, she ignored it, letting the calm music sink into her chest, spreading its comforting tendrils out in her body, relaxing her tense emotions and wiping them from her mind. She could no longer even feel her body moving, was no longer thinking of anything but the music that seemed to be the only sound in her ears. Her body moved gracefully with it, bending and twisting into elegant shapes. At times she would remain still as the music trailed away in a _decrescendo_, pulling her with it as the notes drifted away. Not even the jangling of her phone truly registered in her mind. It was a faraway sound that she could not recognize in her state of passion.

"Anzu?" Rather than tripping as most did, she whipped around quickly in surprise, her arms outstretched. Ryou was standing in the doorway, a small smile formed on his lips. "I hope I am not interrupting."

"No...I was just...Well..." Anzu looked sheepishly at him. He smiled and set down the viola he had in his hand.

"I understand," he assured her. "It music be good to be able to use the dance studio here now that you have keys to the theater." She nodded a bit shyly. She had never spoken much with Ryou, who had always been the quieter of the two. He was reserved and where Anzu had gotten close to Yami, she had never gotten close enough to Ryou to truly understand his reserved nature. "I know that you were somewhat upset this morning by what Yami said," he added, stepping next to her, drawing his body into a familiar position. She hesitated and then allowed him to take her hands as they fell into step with the music. It was not a song they had ever practiced together, yet they naturally glided with each other, never fumbling nor ever misunderstanding the other's steps.

"You agreed with him, too," she added as they stepped quickly to the Carezza waltz. "You think that I should focus on myself, but how can when Mai is hurting so much and needs to be cared for? I'm worried that Malik is going to hurt her, make something bad happen between her and Jounouchi. She doesn't need that right now."

For a long while, Ryou was silent as they danced, spinning around each other, their hands brushing against the others fleetingly at times, the music swelling in the empty room. "Malik isn't the best of guys," he admitted at last, "and I wouldn't trust him with an inexperienced girl, but that is entirely different. He likes to corrupt them, almost as a way of saying that they aren't so perfect after all, as though they are a challenge. He doesn't respect them if they succumb to him. If they ignore him, like you have, they gain a lot of his respect. As for women like Mai...he knows better than to mess with women like that. Mai is vulnerable right now, but not with other men. Just with Jounouchi. If Malik tried to manipulate her, I'd bet she'd have a sharp way of turning it to her advantage. She seems to be a clever woman."

"You seem to know so much about these things, Ryou," she told him when she was just in front of him, his hands on her waist. "I wish I knew better about relationships...My parents relationship and my mother's love for Hanazawa. None of it makes any sense and I guess I wish I just knew how to comfort people. I can't give any real meaningful advice it seems. I wish that I could."

Ryou paused and she twirled around to face him in puzzlement. "You know, it's strange that you say that. I feel that way when Malik is always having problems." She blinked. He laughed and rubbed the back of his head. "He's my best friend, even though he drives me crazy most of the time...I can't stand the way he treats many of the women he is with and I don't really care for the things he gets involved in. He doesn't like the advice I give him – it's not what he wants to do or hear, but I don't know any other type of advice to give. It seems that he always ends up figuring it out himself or, when he's really desperate and asks Yami, he seems to be able to find an even better plan." He smiled slightly. "It's all about experience, Anzu."

"Do you think so?" she queried interestedly as Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana poured from the stereo.

"I cannot think what else it could be," he said with a tiny shrug. "I, too, cannot tell you much about relationships, Anzu. The most I can say is the experiences I've seen from Malik."

"But why not? Haven't you ever fallen in love?"

"Of course," he answered, a somewhat surprised look on his face. "I fell in love with the arts, Anzu. I fell in love with music, the feel of dancing, the grace and elegance of this beauty...No woman could compare to art. Even the arts I don't understand – painting, sculpting – it all is so beautiful to me and I could not imagine anything more magnificent in its beauty." Suddenly aware of how he had been speaking ,Ryou blushed and chuckled, mumbling, "But I suppose you think that is stupid."

"No," she hurried to say, "not at all. I envy you for being so loyal, Ryou. When it was just me and papa, I was just as dedicated. But I was distracted from it by friends and family, too."

"But that is where I envy you, Anzu," Ryou said to her. "You have the ability to be distracted. Nothing can distract me from art...I'm not even as good as Malik and yet I still am so absorbed in it."

"At least art can't betray you," she said mildly. He looked at her curiously, but she merely shook her head. As another song came from the stereo, she gave a perfect curtsy and then held her hand out to him. He looked at it for a moment and then he took it, the two of them continuing their intricate dancing, caught in the web of notes the music was creating.

X

Yami took a slow drink of his wine, staring at the sheet music on his piano. After a pause, he made a few more marks and then played the music up until that point. He paused, cocking his head as if listening to it and then sighed, throwing his pencil onto the paper irritably. It was hard to come up with any soothing melody when all he could think about was Anzu, who he had not had practice with that day. After breakfast, it was hardly surprising that she did not bother contacting him, either. As for the others, Otogi and Shizuka had enjoyed a day together and it appeared that Malik was relaxing with Mai still. Where Ryou was happened to be was none of his business, but if Yami knew him well enough, he was probably enjoying his time without his new roommate. Yami had hoped to get some of his new composition written up, but it was working very poorly given his mood. He had been trying all day and the sunset was approaching and he still had not gotten much done. He simply could not focus on an enjoyable tune whilst in such an angered and somewhat aggravated mood. He turned his head and stared sullenly at the glass of wine.

_I can understand why she wants to be there for her friends, _he thought to himself, staring at the dark liquid. As a connoisseur of wine, he had searched around for an excellent – and expensive – bottle of Chateau Margaux and while he admitted that it was delicious, he questioned whether it was truly worth the $7,000 he had spent on it. _I admire that she can remain by their side, no matter how she is feeling, but I cannot accept that whenever it is time for her to focus on herself, she still allows other people's problems to overshadow her own. _He drummed his fingers on his piano and then leaned over to make a few more notes and did a quick play on the keys. _But why am I so mad at the way she was acting earlier? _he wondered to himself, frowning.

His phone rang and he stared at his sheet music for a moment before sighing and reaching over, answering his phone a bit rudely, "Yes, hello, Kaiba."

"Sounds as if you are having a lovely night," Kaiba drawled in his usual careless manner. Yami frowned harder at his sheet music, but did not respond, waiting for Kaiba to continue. As he expected, Kaiba did as such, saying, "I have a slight issue to take with you."

"Then make sure to be fast about it," he said to him. "I'm busy at the moment."

"Are you now?" came Kaiba's mild voice from behind him. Yami turned slightly, his eyes narrowing. Kaiba smirked, pressing a button on his phone and tucking it away in his pocket. "The door was left unlocked. You apparently were too engrossed in your thoughts to hear me enter." Yami scowled at him and began to raise himself to his feet. Kaiba made a gesture with his hand, indicating that it wasn't necessary. "Don't bother, I have no intention of being here for an extended amount of time." He tucked a hand in one of his pockets, drawing attention to the fact that his usually immaculate dress was somewhat disheveled. His tie was loose and he was not wearing his blazer and even his hair was somewhat mussed. Yami wondered idly whether Kaiba had been out doing some inappropriate activities with random women. Kaiba seemed to know that he was thinking this because he said, "I don't smell like sex, do I?"

"No, why?"

"Then stop thinking that I was out doing that."

Yami smiled in spite of his mood. "Well, then, if you weren't doing that, I suppose that must mean that something has gone awry in the business world. Am I correct?" Kaiba glanced at him through the corner of his eye, nonplussed by this assessment. Yami took a drink of his wine, surveying his companion carefully.

"You may be correct," Kaiba told him, "but not in the way that you are speaking about. Mazaki's hellcat of a mother called me today and is apparently getting angry that she hasn't yet had a meeting with Anzu. I suppose that agreement must be one that was promised sooner than now or else she would not be threatening me. Unfortunately, given her power in Hanazawa's old inner circle, she threw ought some rather unsettling threats that I did not much appreciate." Yami raised an eyebrow in question. "Something along the lines of killing me, ruining my corporation, and other things that I am not quite as sure that she would be able to succeed in, but I am not willing to take that risk." He paused and turning, folding his arms over his chest. "There was also one such threat involving you." Yami's hand stuttered a bit as he moved his wine glass to his lips again, but he continued to take a drink to avoid appearing to shaken. "She seems to know that your parents are looking for you and is willing to reveal your location."

_Damn!_ he thought, feeling a bit anxious at this. In his usual fashion, his mind was darting through ways in which to escape Domino quickly. _Wait, hold on, calm down, _he told himself hastily. _I can't leave yet. I still have a few days to work with Anzu before the auditions. I have to make it these couple days and then I can flee for awhile. I can manage that. _

"We need to get in contact with her so as to set up a meeting with Sakura as quickly as possible," Kaiba said bluntly. Yami was staring down into his wine glass thoughtfully, wondering if he ought to get himself another cup. As he thought that, he wondered whether he ought to have offered Kaiba a cup. He sighed, his eyebrows knitting together. He set the glass aside and rubbed his forehead to cease the beginning of the headache that was forming in his temple.

"Yes, well, that isn't exactly possible at the moment, Kaiba," he said with another sigh. Kaiba raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner. "I'm afraid I offended her this morning, so she isn't feeling all that inclined to speaking with me. I'm sure my telling her that she needs to see her mother - who she very much does not want to see - would only make things worse."

"I don't give a shit," Kaiba told him in a calm tone. "She could be suicidal and slitting her wrists for all I care, but she _is_ going to see her mother if she gives so much as a damn for you or her career, for that matter."

"Don't be morbid," Yami snapped.

"It's merely an example," Kaiba returned.

Yami noticed that Kaiba's fingers were tapping agitatedly against his thigh and at first he thought perhaps he was keeping something from him, but as he considered it more closely, he conclude that could not be true. Kaiba had been still for the most part when he arrived, but now that he had stayed likely longer than intended, he was getting irritable and restless from his lack of nicotine. It was strange to think of Kaiba as one who could be controlled by an addiction, but then that was the interesting thing about him. He had always been controlled by only one thing in his entire life; it used to be Mokuba, but in order to replace that void, he had nicotine as his faithful friend. "Go ahead and smoke, Kaiba, I don't care," Yami told him. "But let us not go to the kitchen. I don't want my piano damaged by your cigarettes."

"It would hardly be damaged, Yami," he said, but had removed his pack of cigarettes and his lighter as they walked from the room. Once they had gotten to the kitchen, Yami refilled his glass with wine and when he looked to his companion in question, Kaiba shook his head, lighting his cigarette and taking a deep drag from it. "You'll never get over being the classically pitied pianist if you don't drinking wine."

"What?" Yami blinked at him. " 'Classically pitied pianist'? What is that supposed to mean, Kaiba?"

"The alcoholism, the depression, your secrets about your past, the tragic romance – it could all be taken out of a Harlequin novel."

Yami scowled at him, while Kaiba merely smirked. "I don't appreciate your sarcastic view of my life, Kaiba, but I appreciate the attempt at analyzing it."

"It wasn't sarcastic, it was the reality of your life," Kaiba told him frankly. "In any case...back to the matter at hand, what exactly did you do to piss off your woman?"

"She's not my – "

"Whatever, I don't care what she is, what'd you do?" he cut in rudely, clearly not interested in correct terminology.

Yami frowned at him, showing his displeasure, before saying, "I told her that she needed to focus on herself." He paused and Kaiba made a gesture with his hand, as if to say, 'And...?' He cleared his throat, continuing, "And I suppose I may have said it in a way that made it seem like she was being a busy-body." As he considered over the conversation again, Yami felt rather apologetic for the way he had spoken to Anzu that morning. He had tried to be nice about it, but he supposed that, given Anzu's nature, she would take it poorly, especially when her intentions had been honest. Nonetheless, he still did not find it a good enough reason for her to act that way. He, too, had honest intentions, as well, after all.

"Excellent job," Kaiba said in dry amusement, his lips curling upward. "As always, you manage to win your way with the ladies."

"I do fine with women," Yami said somewhat moodily. "It's simply with Anzu...I just don't know how to act with her. She's not like the women I am used to. She's sweeter, whereas they were bitter, all of them with hard edges. It's hard to know what to do with someone when you've never been with someone or tried to be with someone like her. I feel like I'm a virgin again, stumbling my way across the room, not quite sure what to do." He pushed his bangs from his face. "I like her a lot."

"Obviously," Kaiba said in a sarcastic tone. "I don't really care for her one way or another."

"I'm relieved."

Noting the attitude in his tone, Kaiba smirked and then took another drag from his cigarette. "Listen, I don't care how you do it, Yami, but I would suggest you talk to her and apologize. Or at least get on some even ground with her so you can figure out this thing with Sakura. I'm not interested in being the middle man and, in fact, will _not_ be the middle man in these matters. You need to deal with it. I don't want to get any more involved in your issues than possible. My only responsibility is to resolve Sakura and her daughter's issues. As it happens, you just happen to be here, in the midst of it."

"Right, right," Yam said dismissively, waving a hand. He took a drink of his wine and savored the flavor in his mouth for a moment before swallowing. "I'll see what I can do. Let Sakura know that Anzu is considering a time to meet since her auditions are coming close and that you're waiting for her to get back to you about it. Does that sound believable?"

"Believable enough," Kaiba said agreeably. "But hurry up, I don't need her realizing that I'm stalling for time for you."

"I'll try and handle it tonight."

Once Kaiba had left and Yami had determined he was not, in fact, anywhere near intoxicated, he collected his keys and phone to head out to Anzu's apartment. He had originally intended on merely calling her, but she could hang up on him far too easily if she was still upset about the ordeal. At least if she slammed the door in his face, she could still hear him. In spite of considering that possibility, though, Yami doubted that she would really do that to him. The problem was that she was too nice and he was expecting things that the more unpleasant spectrum of the gender would deliver to him.

He locked his doors and headed out of his house, jingling his keys as he walked to his car. He stepped inside and closed the door, starting it up. He waited a moment, considering whether he ought not to have called to tell her he was coming over. But, again, he could not help but think that she may leave if she were aware of his coming. So, rather than pausing as he might have liked, he shifted his car into reverse to leave.

X

"I hate this part," Shizuka said, taking a drink of her iced tea. Her and Anzu were settled in Anzu's apartment, watching a Chinese action film. While there were several different Japanese films that they could watched, they did not quite compare to the films that the Chinese tended to produce. "Like, really, how could he do that to him? Just because he was jealous?"

"It really is stupid," Anzu agreed, taking a bite out of one of the chocolate treats they had bought earlier that day. Contrary to what Yami suspected, Anzu had quite forgotten that she had ever been upset with him that morning. Granted, she still did not want to talk about him or think about him at the moment, but she was not feeling spiteful or mean in any way. In fact, she was in quite a good mood. After work, and then dancing with Ryou, she had called up Shizuka, who immediately agreed to meet up for some girl time. They had tried to call Mai, but it was clear that she was still occupied, as she did not answer her phone. Whether she was occupied by Malik or Rena had yet to be seen. "But you know, I can understand it kind of. He was the commander and one of his men bested him. Like, how could you not be envious of that? And it's hard to hate him because he's so cute and you can tell that he was really regretting it."

"Still!" Shizuka said with a sigh. She, too, began to nibble on their chocolate treats and for a while the two females were silent as they watched anxiously as Ping-An helped Zhao Zilong remove his armor. "Anzu?" Shizuka suddenly spoke. Anzu turned her head slightly, but her eyes were still on the movie. "Do you think Mai and Jounouchi will ever work things out?" Anzu blinked and focused on Shizuka, a surprised look crossing her face. Shizuka smiled somewhat sheepishly. "I don't want to ruin our night together, so if you'd rather not talk about it, just tell me and I'll shut up."

"No, it's fine, but...why do you ask?"

Shizuka released a long sigh, her eyes turning to the movie in thought. "It's just...when I approached Mai this morning, she just seemed so angry. I always heard of her temper from Jounouchi and I know that they tend to get in huge fights with each other, but she and I had always been pretty cordial with each other. I just wanted to offer my help to her, but she took it as though I were personally insulting her. And I promise, Anzu, I never meant it that way! I want to be there for her, while being there for Jounouchi. She thinks that I'd go and talk to him about everything, but I don't see how it's any different than yours and her relationship."

"Because you're closer to him, Shizuka," she said quietly. "I mean, yes, Jounouchi is my friend, but you're his sister and by the sounds of it, it doesn't sound like you guys were all that connected in the first place."

"Well, no," Shizuka admitted, "we never were. I never really knew how to connect with her. I always admired her, I guess, in my own way. Jounouchi told me, after I said this to him one day, that I should never admire or want to be another person, that I should always want to be myself and be with myself. I always looked up to her, though. She's beautiful and even after everything she seemed to hold herself together so well. I always wanted to be closer, but I never knew how. And now that I know how full of..._hate_ she is, I want to help her even more and be even closer."

"Mai is a hard person," Anzu admitted, "but I think you just really need to wait for her to come to you. She's smart enough that I think she'll realize that she should accept your friendship as it is. But Shizuka, why did you let me call her if she had lashed out at you this morning?"

"I thought that maybe you would be a good mediator and things might go better. I promise I wasn't trying to use you, I just figured she might not react as violently."

"Maybe," Anzu said, nodding. "If nothing else, Malik will make her see the error of her ways."

"Yeah..." Shizuka's frowned thoughtfully and then tucked her legs beneath her, leaning forward on the couch, asking, "What _is _that, anyway? Her and Malik?"

"I don't really know what she's doing, but I think as far as Malik is concerned, it's just to pass time. And...well, I think he might actually know where she is as far as her state of emotions goes. Maybe he wants to help. And maybe...maybe Mai is accepting that help for what it is, even if it is from someone she barely knows." In the time that she had with Ryou, sinking into the bliss known as dancing, she had come to a realization. If Malik had been truly interested in messing around and having some real fun, he would have gone after Shizuka. She was the usual girl that, by Ryou's definition, Malik would be going after; yet, he had gone after Mai instead, who was a woman that Ryou had said Malik would know he could not manipulate. By this, she suspected that something was going on behind Malik's outward intentions that she was unaware of and that she likely would not discover through either Mai or Malik.

"Sometimes it's someone you barely know who makes things work out," Shizuka remarked, smiling at Anzu. "You helped me and Otogi."

"No, I just helped you guys stand up for yourselves against Jounouchi," Anzu replied, returning the smile with her own. The two girls giggled and then returned to their snacks and treats.

Once the movie had ended, the girls turned on the lights and began to clean up the room, chattering about how sad it was that Zhao Zilong had been betrayed and was never given a chance to return to his love. During the middle of this conversation, Anzu's doorbell rang. She paused in putting away the tea, looking at Shizuka questioningly. "Did you tell Otogi to come pick you up?" she asked.

"No, I haven't."

With a puzzled look on her face, Anzu approached the door and unlocked it, swinging it open. She blinked back at Yami, who cleared his throat, looking somewhat uncomfortable. Shizuka snuck up behind Anzu and her lips formed a tiny 'oh' when she saw him in the hallway. "Yami," Anzu finally said in a small, shocked tone. "What are you doing here?"

"I, ah...wanted to speak with you," he told her awkwardly, his eyes flickering to Shizuka uneasily.

"Well, I'm kind of occupied..."

"Oh, don't worry about me, I was just leaving!" Shizuka chirped hastily. "I'll just call Otogi to let him know I'm done. He was going to spend the night at my house since Jounouchi is out with Honda." A corner of Yami's mouth tilted upward as he nodded.

"Are you sure, Shizuka?" Anzu asked, concerned.

"I'm sure it's no problem at all," she assured. "I'll go get my purse and call him, okay?"

Anzu let Yami in, who remained quiet throughout this exchange. He stood in the kitchen while Shizuka talked to Otogi and after saying her farewell to Anzu, still on the phone with her boyfriend, the two of them were left alone. Anzu's apartment seemed looming with silence after Shizuka's bright voice had disappeared. Anzu was in the living area, standing by the couch, watching Yami through the corner of her eye. The counter was all that separated her small kitchen from the living area.

"So...," Yami began and then cleared his throat, "I came over to apologize."

"Apologize?" Anzu repeated.

"Yes, that's right, for my rude words this morning." She stared at him blankly. "Anzu...I swear that I did not mean to offend you, I only want the best for you and I only said it in hope that you might pay more attention to your health. That's all."

There was a pregnant pause in which Yami stared across at Anzu anxiously, trying to determine whether she was still upset. She simply stood by the couch, gazing back at him with no real expression. He had never had any trouble with Anzu before, as her temper has always been turned towards people other than himself. The rare times that it had begun to be pointed towards him, he was redirected it. However... _She's had all day to fume over my comment to her this morning,_ he thought. _But surely she doesn't have that type of temperament, right?_

Suddenly, she sighed, pushing her hair from her face and approaching him in the kitchen. She put a hand on her hip as she paused beside him, surveying him with a narrow-eyed stare. He stared back at her nervously, preparing himself to move to the other end of the counter if need by. She raised her hand and flicked his forehead, causing him to blink. "Silly," she said softly, a slow smile spreading across her face. "I'm not mad about it anymore." She lowered her hand. "I mean, I guess I _should_ be given that it was pretty rude, but after some thinking about it, I realize that I had overreacted as far as Malik and Mai goes. I have a habit of jumping without thinking when it comes to people I care about being threatened. I know it's stupid and I feel dumb about it, but that's how I am."

"Oh, I see," Yami said, nodding, relieved that she was no longer angry. "Well, I am glad to see that you understand now my feelings about those two. Don't worry, Mai can take care of herself."

"I know she can. So! Is that all you came over here for or was there something else?"

He opened his mouth and while Shizuka was on his mind, instead he said, "I missed you today." At first he did not register what it was that he had said and then, when it did, he wondered vaguely what type of response she would give to that. Yami was not a shy man and if his honest feelings were to be rejected, then he would be hurt, but he would also be relieved that they had been told. And so, rather than be horrified and wishing he could take them back like most people would, he simply waited to see her reaction. Her lips parted slightly, likely in surprise, but she did not immediately form any words.

"I missed you, too," Anzu told him at last, a shy look coming to her face. His face lit up a fraction and he closed the distance between them, smoothing her hair from her face as he peered down at her. He could not recall the last time they had had time together. He knew, given how hectic the next few days would be, that he would not have the chance to do this again for awhile.

"I'm glad," he whispered before leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. They warm and soft, tasting sweetly of chocolate. And when he took a breath in, he could smell the subtle scent of her soap. While his day had been full of irritated feelings, he could feel nothing but contentment in this moment, as she slid her arms around his waist, pulling him closer to her smaller body. His tongue slipped past her lips as she opened them for him, with yet another taste of chocolate coming to his tongue, this time blended with tea. Her scent mixed with the taste of her night was intoxicating. Her soft hair and curving body, her fingers splayed out on his back was all so perfect. And even as he withdrew to meet her hazy gaze, he could not regret it. He smiled as she licked her lips, a pleasant blush painting itself onto her cheeks. He ran his thumb across her lips and then very gently kissed her, only barely drawing away so as to meet her eyes.

"Thank you for coming over," she murmured.

"You're very welcome."

"Yami..." She drew away from him, licking her lips again. He watched in amusement and perhaps she knew what the cause of his expression was, for she blushed a bit pinker before coughing slightly and continuing, "Would you like to stay the night?" He blinked, startled.

"Ah...I don't think..."

"No, no," she was quick to interrupt before he could finish his thought, "it's not like that. I just know that you'll be leaving for a bit after the auditions and I'd like to spend a night with you, sleeping." She smiled at him, just as shy and nervous as ever when it came to their timid relationship. He scanned her face and relaxed. Anzu was truly an innocent, with such pure intentions. It was amazing that such a girl would be remotely interested in someone as monstrous as him.

Dashing that morbid thought from his mind, he smoothed her hair from her face again and kissed her forehead. "Of course, Anzu. I'd like that."

_TBC_

X

DIS: I decided to take my laptop with me on my way to class today, just so I could work on this and another story while on the bus. Shockingly, I managed to get the last six pages of this done while one the bus, with the exception of the last bit which I finished when I got home. I'm rather proud of my renewed updating skills. Maybe my class essays won't suck so much, too, now that my writer's block is gone...? In any case, please leave a review telling me how you liked it, or what you didn't like about it, etc. Ciao!


	26. Dreams of a new day

DIS: I'm back, late though I most certainly am...Thanks to **everyone** who reviewed, I truly appreciate your feedback! :) For today, I suggest "Memories" by Ryan Stewart. It is SUCH a beautiful piece. I had Pandora going when I was writing something else and it popped on and I suddenly could imagine it being the background music for the scene with Jounouchi in the middle of this chapter. It's very moving combined with his words... And especially if you imagine him remembering Mai. Maybe I should be a movie director? Erm...actually, let's not get carried away. In any case, here is the next chapter!

X

_Chapter Twenty-Six, Dreams of a new day_

Yami opened his eyes, glancing at the clock. It was only a half hour from the last time his eyes had opened. He sat up slightly and looked around, somewhat disoriented, just as he had been thirty minutes ago. This time, he remembered more quickly that he was in Anzu Mazaki's living room. He had been asleep on her couch and while it was not as comfortable as a bed, it worked well enough. He slipped back down, shifting into a more comfortable position, and stared up at the ceiling. Her apartment was quiet, with only the small sounds of the city beginning to quiet, as people had finally begun to go home to sleep; the night life had begun to settle with the coming of morning close on the horizon. He turned onto his side and glanced towards where Anzu's room was, with the door slightly ajar, just enough for him to see inside. She had asked him to spend the night with her, just for sleep, but after she had fallen asleep, he had slipped out of the bed to make a comfortable spot for himself on the couch. He was unsure why, but he could not let himself remain in bed with her.

_It isn't that I don't want to, _he mused, _but right now, everything is on unsteady ground. I don't want to give her false hopes and I don't want to get anymore attached than I already am if something goes amiss and I can't stay here with her. _It was a sad thought and he wished he had said something to her rather than let her pretend that everything would be okay. Yami did not like feeling like a coward, unable to do anything for anyone. Rather than dwelling too much further on that thought, Yami instead recalled how long it had taken for Anzu to even settle on sleep. They had remained awake for some hours before she had drifted off.

"I'm sorry that I came over so late," he had said to her after the lights had gone off and they were enclosed in darkness. At that time, Domino City was still quite alive, with people laughing and yelling cheerfully outside, the dull sound of a far-off nightclub's bass stripping the night of its serenity, and cars driving past on the street to its next destination. "I felt the need to apologize to you as soon as possible, though."

"It's okay, Yami," she said quietly, "I really don't mind. I'm glad that you did come over. The entire thing has been upsetting me a bit today. I wouldn't have done anything about it myself, so it's good that you did." She laughed. "I probably would have just pretended it never happened and we'd get over it, just like that."

He chuckled. "Well, you would," he corrected.

There was a pause in which neither of them spoke, yet they could hear each other's slow, steady breathing underneath the distance noises outside.

"It's so loud in this part of town," he remarked at last, fumbling for any type of conversation. He still wanted to hear her voice and listen to her talk, even if it was mundane. At first, she did not say anything and he feared that she was already beginning to fall asleep. As he was about to say something else, however, she spoke up.

"It is," she agreed softly, "but I like it here. Where papa and I used to live, it was quiet in our neighborhood and there was never any sound at all at night. It wasn't really until you went into town that there was any sound and even then, it was subdued .It was nothing like Domino. I love all of the variety here...there's so much personality and there are so many people who are like me, who are involved in art and I really enjoy that. I was so shocked to have met both you and Otogi and that you were both musicians. I know that Otogi isn't really a professional musician anymore because of his shop, but still." She paused and then questioned, "Speaking of his shop...has he re-opened it since his attack?"

"No, not yet. He opened it for a short amount of time every once in awhile for regular customers who needed something, but otherwise, he has kept it closed to walk-in customers. The problem is that there are so many people who want what Otogi has. He has vintage instruments, some of the finest quality, that sell for an incredibly good price. There are so many wealthy people in Domino that he makes a good business out of buying this instruments and then reselling them. He even gets violins that come straight out of Italy, where the most artful violin makers are taught and live. With this sort of quality, it's not surprising that Otogi is attacked. He's been threatened before by lesser criminals, but no one who has used any real force."

"It sounds like a dangerous occupation."

"I think that any job is a dangerous occupation," he admitted. "Did he not explain all of that to you?"

"No, and I doubt he told Shizuka because she never brought it up. I'm glad that he had such a fast recovery, though."

"So am I," he concurred.

"They are so good to each other," she added after a pause. Yami turned his head slightly, hearing a strange note of envy in her voice. Perhaps because she knew that he was looking at her, she explained, "I never really experienced anyone in a really good relationship. There was my parents, but obviously they did not have the best of relationships. And in the beginning, we had a few of their friends come over, but I was too young to really observe those sort of going-ons and only paid attention to their children that I played with. It wasn't until I got older that I was really trying to find someone who had an ideal relationship...who seemed really happy and I never really found one that worked. There always seemed to be something negative about it."

"And what about you, Anzu? Had you ever been in a relationship?"

"Not really," she admitted quietly. "There were guys at school that I talked to and some of them asked me out, but I never wanted it to go beyond friendship. They were too perverted or too forward, or just too...different. And it wasn't like I had time to date, anyway," she added as an afterthought. "What about you, Yami, have you ever had a good relationship?"

"Umm..." He considered over the many girls that he had gone to bed with, the ones that he had teased and flirted with, the ones that he would plan to meet every few days between the others girls, and their faces blurred together. He could hardly remember any of their names.

"A lot?" she asked dryly.

"Well, I, uh...that is to say, Anzu...," he fumbled around his words, unsure of how to say, more or less, 'I am a man-whore.'

"It's okay," she said, laughing. "I'm not surprised. You really do have a way with women."

Feeling somewhat despondent, he quickly attempted to save his reputation. "There were a few relationships that were more serious than the others." Which, in fact, was not a lie. "They didn't last very long, of course, but I dealt with them more seriously than any of the others. Honestly, I'm not much better than Malik...when I go to social events and parties, I do tend to...do things that might not be the most intelligent. But there are some times that I found a rare jewel in that sea of people, where I really connected with someone." He paused, hesitating, before continued, "But even though I felt the connection, it wasn't always the same with the woman. They felt too rushed or they thought that it was too much for too soon of a relationship. There was always something and they struggled against my affections and most times it ended in a lot of fights and then, a good deal of bitterness on both sides."

"That's terrible..."

"But it's life, Anzu," he said mildly, turning his head so he was gazing up at the ceiling again. "Some people aren't ready for a life of romance, where there's only one person. Like Malik. It's not that he's incapable of falling in love with someone, it's just that he can't do it right now. He's young, he's careless, and he still wants to have fun. And those girls whose hearts are broken...it's nobody's fault that they got their heart broken. It just wasn't the right time for Malik and it wasn't the right person for them."

"Relationships are complicated," Anzu said after there was a tiny pause of silence between them. "I can't imagine that I'd ever want to be stuck in one."

"They are," he agreed, "but if you don't want one...what are we doing here, Anzu?"

For that, she did not respond.

While her silence unnerved Yami, he chose to brush it off. He knew at his age and after so many women, that pushing them for answers, just like when women pushed men for answers, was not a good idea, especially one that was not ready to give answers. So, he gave her the silence and instead allowed the conversation to steer elsewhere. "What made you decide to dance, Anzu?"

He felt her stiffen slightly and wondered if he had chosen the wrong subject. "My mother," she said softly.

"Your mother?" he repeated, surprised.

"When I was a little girl, the day before she left, she took me to see a ballet. I was enchanted by the dancers and how gorgeous they were, how graceful they seemed to move. Even after my mom left, I still wanted to see ballets. I watched them whenever I could on TV and would rent movies and CDs with the music and I would try my hardest to dance the same way they did. I didn't have the proper training to do it as well, but even more I entered a dance class, I was practicing dancing in my own particular way. It was hard to adjust to dancing their way, but I did it because I wanted to look like those women in the videos. But more than anything, I wanted to look like the woman I had seen onstage with my mom...she was my inspiration for the longest time. But...I have her to thank for introducing me to ballet."

"I'm glad that you didn't give up dancing," Yami told her. "Some people wouldn't have anything to do with something that reminds them of that sort of situation...I'm glad that you are stronger than that."

Even in the dark, Yami could see her small, sad smile. Yet, she replied, "Thank you, Yami, so am I."

"But it's mostly a selfish reason I have for being glad that you didn't give up dancing," he admitted, rolling onto his side. She moved her head slightly and looked at him. He lowered his hand to her cheek, brushing the hair from her face, smiling. "I've never felt so alive before, Anzu, and never so...cared for. Otogi has always cared for me, as much as he can, but I feel that no matter where I am, you'll be thinking of me. For once, I feel that I am truly wanted somewhere. It's almost like I actually have a spot that someone can't replace." He gave a slight laugh, repeating, "Almost." He leaned down and pressed his forehead against hers, kissing her nose and then her mouth, lingering there.

When he withdrew, they were quiet, staring at each other. She reached up and drew her arms around his neck, pulling him down against her. He slipped his arms beneath her, holding her tiny body against his, closing his eyes to take comfort in the warmth of her in his arms. He had held women that he was serious about, but they never wanted real hugs. They'd wanted them after sex, and only for a moment, before any tender moment had disappeared. For Anzu, it seemed that everything about her was tender: the way she smiled, her voice when she spoke to him, her eyes when she looked at him, and her lips and touch whenever they drew close enough. He knew that, like last time, this all might just disappear again, but he knew now that it would come back. Anzu felt something for him, enough to open up to him and care for him and wait for him while he disappeared for a bit so his parents didn't come trailing in to ruin his perfectly laid out life in Domino. He knew what he felt, but he had a feeling she had yet to understand her feelings towards him. If she wanted him to wait, then he would. He had an unending amount of patience when it came to her.

"I wish I could protect you," she whispered in his ear abruptly. He opened his eyes, his brow furrowing. There was such strong emotion in her voice that he worried that he was upsetting her, but he could feel no dampness on his neck where her face was nuzzled. "You've helped me so much...and cared for me so much...I feel like I can't return the favor."

"Anzu," he murmured, pulling away, peering into her soft face. "You've kept me from poisoning myself with alcohol every time a cruel word is thrown at me. I would have been drowning in hard liquor throughout my interactions with Kaiba if not for you. You've allowed me to finally accept my past and deal with it. I want to help you become a professional dancer and because of that, I can deal with everything that's happening. You're the one thing that keeps me sane now...you and my music." Even in the dim light, he saw the blush that spread over her cheeks. He chuckled low in his throat, leaning down and kissing her again, delighting in the feel of her mouth on his, the sweet sensation of her tongue on his, shy and uncertain, and then a bit bolder. Her hand moved over his face and then slipped to cup his neck, pulling him in closer. He gently withdrew and framed her face, telling her, "I promise you that I need nothing more from you than to stay safe. While I'm gone, Malik and Ryou will take care of you and Kaiba will monitor the other circles to make sure that there is no movement from there."

"How long will you be gone?"

"I'm not sure yet," he sighed ruefully, "but I intend on getting back as soon as I can. That is all I can say."

"Do you want to...?" she trailed off, leaving the question hanging.

"Not tonight," Yami said, understanding the question too well. "Maybe another night, but I'm not ready for that, yet. For now, just go off of what Kaiba told you...and be wary of strangers until I can say more." She nodded against his chest, cuddling close to him. He pushed a hand through her hair and then slipped down, circling an arm around her shoulders, pulling her up against him. She shifted closer, resting her cheek against his chest.

From then on, they drifted in and out of conversation and by the time Anzu had fallen asleep, Yami was aware that he had been in her bed for some time. He waited an hour, listening to her steady, deep breathing. Once he was convinced that she was fast asleep, he slipped out from underneath her. She simply rolled over, cuddling up to the pillow. He tucked the blankets around her and passed a hand over her face, moving the hair away so that he could see her more clearly. She looked peaceful and content. And while his body had gone cold, missing her body's warmth, he could not bring himself to move back into bed with her. No matter what anyone said, waking up to someone else's face next to theirs after a night of no sex was far more intimate than having sex in itself.

The couch was cold when he settled onto it, and it was quiet and dark. His mind zipped along, worrying over his little dancer in the other room, until he began to sleep fitfully, waking up every so often from nightmares. He hadn't wanted to tell Anzu, but he was afraid of what was going to happen from here on between them. She had left the question of a relationship open, and he had never been in a committed relationship before that hadn't had cheating involved. (He had always known that the women he was "serious" about had been with other men at the same time as him.) Everything was an unknown and while it was true that Yami had never been in control of his own fate as far as family was concerned, he had always been in control of everything else in his life; yet now he was given another thing in which he would not be able to control.

X

"Well, what's your problem?" Honda asked his companion as they slipped into Domino City early. It was near seven a.m., yet both he and Jounouchi were wide awake. Jounouchi had been brooding most of the trip, looking confused most times and then irritated the next half. One of the teenage girls of the family they were helping move had incessantly flirted with him and while he had returned the flirting in his usual fashion, Honda could tell that he was bothered. As soon as the girl gave him her number, he tossed it in the glove box as he always did when the younger girls were bold enough to do such things. There had even been an enclosed thong from a slightly older, married woman, which had instantly been burned as soon as the two men could get out of city limits to burn something on the side of the road.

"What're you talking about?" Jounouchi asked, glancing at him from his blank stare that he had been directing at the window.

"You know what I'm talking about. You've been acting weird the entire trip. What's your deal, already? You were in a hurry to get back to Domino for whatever reason – "

"And you weren't?" Jounouchi interrupted. "I swear if I heard anything more about Miho, I was gonna throw the truck in reverse and lay underneath it." Honda scowled at him, somewhat embarrassed and more than a bit irritated with his mood. Perhaps Jounouchi realized that he had settled the sarcasm on a bit too thick, because he sighed and said, "I just needed to be home, Honda. I miss my daughter and I – " He suddenly stopped himself, a puzzled expression crossing his face. Honda had turned frozen on the inside, recognizing the words that would usually follow: _"I miss my wife." _It had been the same thing before Jounouchi and Mai had divorced. If he started acting strange or tired or a little less than cheerful, he would always blame it on missing Rena and Mai. "...and I miss Shizuka," Jounouchi finally said, a bit belatedly. Perhaps he knew so, because he then turned to stare obstinately out the window, refusing to even look back even when Honda stared at him a bit too long for safe driving.

"Listen, Jounouchi, I'm sorry for going on about Miho as much as I have been," Honda finally said. "I mean, I can't help it. I forget myself and just start talking about her over and over again. I'm happy with her. It's not like I can help it or anything, either. And...I mean, sometimes I forget that...well...you know..."

"No, I don't," Jounouchi said a bit testily, turning around. "Forget what? That I'm not married and I don't have anyone to talk about?" There was a tense pause in which Honda pursed his lips and Jounouchi stared – or rather, glared – at him. The conversation was then ended. Even though Honda wanted to point out that he had endured it while he was single, he chose not to, already anticipating a rather rude comeback by his friend. They finished the drive in silence and once they shut off the truck, Jounouchi didn't bother to say anything to him before he was heading to his car at a quick pace. Honda hurried after him and when he caught up, he put a hand on his shoulder, demanding attention. "What?" he asked moodily, turning to face him.

"Jou, don't do this," Honda quietly said. "Don't beat yourself up over her. You've already been over this enough, man, don't go back to how it was."

"I'm trying not to, but..." Jounouchi looked around a bit wildly. "But what am I _supposed_ to feel, Honda? What am I _supposed_ to feel like? I should hate her, shouldn't I? She acts like such a...such a bitch and yet when she starts breaking down, starts reminding me of how she used to be, I get as weak as I ever was, and I feel bad, and I want to help her, and..." He grabbed his head and shook it violently before throwing his hands down. "I actually _feel_ it again. I actually feel all those things that I felt when I married her and it disgusts me to know that no matter what she does, no matter how many girls throw themselves their way, all I can think about it is the one woman who disrespected everything that we were and disrespected the entire purpose of...of marriage! You don't know how that feels. It makes me _ashamed_ of what I'm feeling!"

"You're right...I don't know that feels like," he admitted in his soft tones, "but I do know what it feels like to love. I loved your sister forever it seems and now, what I have with Miho...I feel even more powerfully. It's not easy to forget. I know this is gonna sound like it's from a fuckin' soap opera or a romance novel or something, but there is such a thing as there being 'the one,' and honestly...I think that Mai is like that for you. You two were perfect for each other. You loved her more than anything or anyone in the entire world, more than stupid sports, more than your sister – you idolized her, Jou, and once you put that much into one person...it's hard to get rid of it."

"I should hate her," Jounouchi said flatly.

"Yeah...but you know that you'll never really be able to hate her. We both know that. I'm not telling you to try and get back together with her or anything like that, but you seriously need to find a better way to move on, Jou. I know you've been trying to be friends with her and everything else, but you need to _stop_ _that _and just do what you're there for - pick up your daughter and leave."

"You don't understand." He shook his head, less angrily this time, and in a more hopeless manner. When he raised his eyes to Honda's, they were sad and full of agony. "I can't do that, Honda. I can't just walk away. If I saw that she was hurt or seemed to be in pain or was bothered or anything, I'd stop and try to help, even if I sound like a bumbling idiot, or if I just stand there like a moron, I couldn't just walk away and say 'Bye, see ya later.' I can't do that to her...I can't. If she and I could just be friends I'd be happy, but she isn't willing to make that effort. She's too paranoid, thinking I'm constantly trying to remind her of her mistakes – when I'm not."

Honda sighed, grasping the back of his neck and rubbing it hard. He wished he had a good piece of advice for his friend, but he didn't. He knew near to nothing about relationships. Perhaps Jounouchi knew this, for he simply shook his head and turned back towards his car, saying, "No matter what, I'm never going to forget her or my feelings for her." Honda sighed again and then shrugged a bit helplessly, moving to his own car. Jounouchi unlocked his door and looked at his friend's defeated figure loping away and he called, "But Honda?"

"Yeah?" He turned to look at him in question.

"Thanks...for listening and everything."

His friend gave a lopsided grin and nodded before continuing on to his car. Jounouchi slipped into his car and shut the door, starting the ignition. He sat there for a moment, considering over some things, and then pulled away from the lot of the moving company. Originally, he had planned on going home, watching some TV, and then sleeping a few hours, just to relax some and try to forget his troubled thoughts. However, he knew too well how these his mind worked when it came to Mai and so, rather than spending his time torturing himself with his thoughts, he took a different road. It was a bit after seven, nearing the middle of the hour, and he was hoping that the person he was driving to see would be up by now.

While Jounouchi truly did feel that Shizuka was a good listener to his dilemmas, lately he felt that he could tell her nothing, and especially not about Mai; it seemed that Otogi was with her every step she took, always next to her, and always listening. He liked Otogi for the most part, even if he _was_ dating his sister, but he was not prepared to be open about certain elements of his and his ex-wife's relationship. He had a feeling that Mai also did not talk to Otogi too much in regards to what she had been going through, likely because she did not want to intrude on Otogi's hard-earned happiness with Shizuka. It was strange to think that Jounouchi was in the same situation as Mai, if not for the exact same reasons. He did suspect, however, that she spoke quite personally to Anzu, just as he was about to do. It seemed that, out of all the people, she was the most trustworthy, and having not been involved with anyone else before the divorce, she was the easiest person in whom to receive advice.

Jounouchi had only been to Anzu's a spare few times and so it took him a few tries to find where her apartment complex was located. Once he found it, it was closer to eight and he was certain that she should be awake by then. He rang her doorbell and stood outside the door, shifting from foot to foot nervously. He waited a few seconds and then rang the doorbell again, worrying that perhaps it was too early after all. _Aw, man, I knew I should've waited, _he thought. _I'll just come back later..._ He moved to leave, but there was the sound of a lock turning and his face lit up in hope. The door swung open and he blinked, staring at the male in the doorway. "Uh...did I get the wrong...apartment?" Jounouchi asked, puzzled. _No way in hell does he live in these apartments, _he thought, kicking himself inwardly for asking such a stupid question. Yami Mutou stared back at him, a crease beginning his forehead, and he stepped out, glancing around curiously. Jounouchi allowed him, stepping back a bit and surveying the other male. He was fully dressed in wrinkled clothing that he guessed that he had slept in. "Er...is Anzu awake?"

"No, but come in," Yami replied, ushering him inside. "I'm sorry if my appearance startled you. I slept on her couch last night." Jounouchi shut the door and raised his eyebrows at him afterward, skeptical. "I assure you nothing inappropriate happened!" he suddenly told him, putting his hands up. "I have the greatest respect for Anzu and would never – "

"Whoa, buddy," Jounouchi interrupted, also raising his hands, a bit startled by Yami's nervous exposition. "I'm not her dad, I don't need to know why you're over here. I just didn't know you two were, uh, going steady..."

"We're not!" Yami was quick to say. "I mean, as far as I know...That is to say, we're not involved romantically. We are, uh...we're very good friends, that's all. And I'm her accompanist, of course! But we're not..." He stopped. Jounouchi stared at him, his brow furrowed, appearing more than a bit befuddled by Yami's strange behavior. He had never seen the man so flustered. Then again, he hadn't interacted with him all that much, either. Yami sighed and said, "If you don't mind, I'd like you to keep this a secret..."

"Fine with me," Jounouchi said with a nonchalant shrug. "I'm not one for gossiping, anyway." Yami gave him a relieved look.

"What's goin' on?" They both turned to see Anzu rubbing her eyes, blinking blearily at them. She yawned and then repeated her question, in case they hadn't heard. Jounouchi cleared his throat, a bit embarrassed at having woken his friend up.

"Sorry, I came over and woke you guys up," Jounouchi said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Anzu smiled sleepily.

"It's okay, it's about time for me to wake up anyway. Want me to start some coffee, Jounouchi? – Yami?" They mumbled their assent, but both men were wondering whether Anzu had overheard their conversation. If she did, she had no intention of mentioning it and was unbothered by it. They watched her grind some coffee beans and then load the coffee pot with the grounds and water. She stretched her arms above her head and then turned to where Jounouchi had settled at the counter like a little boy waiting for breakfast, his body all hunched over as he leaned against the counter. "So, Jounouchi, why'd you come over so early? I thought you were doing a move?"

"I was," he confirmed, "and I actually had just gotten back into town a while ago. But I...well, I really needed someone to talk to." He glanced at Yami uncomfortably. He didn't know the pianist well enough, but he was hoping that he was not all too close to Mai or would not go running his mouth about his problems to her or Otogi. Perhaps Yami felt his glance, because he seemed aware that Jounouchi had fallen silent.

"Ah...maybe I should - ?" Yami looked at him, gesturing towards the door.

"You don't have to worry about him," Anzu suddenly told Jounouchi. "He's not going to say anything to Otogi or anyone else close to Mai. At least...that _is_ what's bothering you, isn't it? Mai?"

"Well, yeah," he admitted, comforted by Anzu's words. "I don't know. I feel like an idiot, Anzu...I mean, even after everything we've been through, and what we've put Rena through, I can't get her out of my head. I just...am I stupid?"

Anzu sighed quietly through her nose and gave the question serious consideration. She had been entrusted with Mai's honest admittance to hers and Jounouchi's relationship and she certainly wouldn't want her angry at her again. It was hard, then, to give any real advice knowing what she did about Mai. Part of her wished she only had one person in the situation speaking to her, but she knew it was not so simple as that. After a while, she realized that she may need to admit something to Jounouchi that she may have preferred that Yami did not hear. "I don't think you are stupid, Jou," she told him after a pause. "I know what it feels like to be conflicted like that. Even though you know that someone has done bad things to yourself or others, it's hard to still dislike them. And if you really can't dislike them for that, then what can you do? Forget about them? I guess it depends...I mean, Mai cares deeply for Rena and has always seemed to do whatever she could for your guys' daughter. She has kept her...mostly...shielded from your fights and I'm sure that when she doesn't, she never intentionally does so."

"Yeah," he admitted, frowning. "But the fact is that she _did_ do them."

Anzu looked down at the counter, a sad, lost look on her face. "Would you hold a grudge against your sister if she had done something like that to someone, even if you thought it was wrong?" she asked. "Or me?"

"What? No, I wouldn't. But you two are different – "

"How?" Anzu interrupted. "Jou, think about it. What was Mai to you during your marriage and when you were dating? She was your best friend, the only woman that was truly important to you, and the only woman that you wanted to marry and have a child with. She was your everything, more than me and more than Shizuka. If you could forgive and forget us, then logically, you should be able to do the same for her."

"That's just it, though!" Jounouchi said explosively, jumping to his feet and pacing agitatedly. Yami flinched a bit, startled by the sudden movement of the otherwise lethargic male. "She _was_ my everything, Anzu! She was closer to me than anyone else was and I would sold my soul to the devil for her, if it only meant that I could keep her happy and keep her with me. There was nobody else for me, and there hasn't been ever since I met her. My heart has never been inclined towards anyone else. The only thing that matters to me anymore is my daughter. And still, a part of me wants to extend that, so that if I keep Rena happy, it will make Mai happy, but even that doesn't work. All I ever wanted to do was live a good life with the woman I loved and she ripped that from me. I told her after the first time that I could handle it, but then it had to happen again, and I can't forget that. She didn't care enough to give up and just be happy with me. I wasn't _enough_ for her and I'll never forget that. I can't...I just can't..."

Anzu watched him, pursing her lips, hating to see her friend in such a state of mind. She turned to pour herself a cup of coffee and after she had mixed in sugar and creamer, she paused, realizing that Jounouchi's words sounded strangely familiar. She remembered one year on her birthday she had become upset much like Jounouchi had, raging to her father about how she hadn't been a good enough daughter for her mother, how she had left because of her, and that she would never forgive herself for that or her mother for leaving her. It had been a very trying moment for her father, she knew. She had only been ten when that particular outburst had occurred, shortly after she started her period and rather than hearing things explained by her mother as it ought to have been, she instead was told by her father in his awkward manner of speaking of such things to his young daughter.

It felt as if she was her father, unable to speak, too distraught to explain to her that it had been no one's fault but her mother's, instead it was Mai's fault and not Jounouchi's. She recalled his sad face and his silence. It had angered her at the time, seeing his weary expression through a blurred vision, yet when he took her in his arms, she hadn't pushed him away, but had cried in his arms.

"Jounouchi," Yami suddenly spoke up, surprising Anzu. He went to where Jounouchi had stopped his pacing, his hands buried in his hair. He put a hand on his back and quietly told him, "Trust me on this...what people do is rarely ever your fault. Especially in relationships. You could have the perfect relationship where everything is as the movies depict it, and that person could still do the things that Mai had done to you. It simply works that way sometimes. We cannot control the people we are with. It is not as easy as that. If we could predict how relationships were to end simply by how things are going...we would likely be wrong every time. Some people are good liars and think that a brief moment of fun is worth risking their entire life over. But I will assure you of this right now – it was not _your _fault that anything happened between you and Mai. It was _completely_ her choice. And I think that she has regretted that for a long time after seeing the wonderful man and father she lost." Yami withdrew his hand when Jounouchi looked at him, his brow furrowed. Anzu, too, had drawn her eyes to Yami.

"Is cheating really all that wrong?" Yami asked him quietly.

"How would you feel if Anzu was sleeping with another guy?" Jounouchi demanded a bit more angrily than he had perhaps meant. Yami surveyed him a moment.

"If I were with a woman who loved me and I loved her in return," he replied carefully, "then it would not matter. If it was I who she returned to each night, and it was I who she shared her deepest secrets and fears with, and who made her truly happy, then her heart would still belong to me and my heart would still belong to her. Physical attraction is natural. For some people, it is different, but if they lust for another person, why not allow them to act on that lust, so long as they return to you and won't be doing it with the same person continuously?"

"Because...because that's..." He paused and then released a breath and said, "That wasn't our agreement at the time. Mai knew how I felt about...well, open relationships. They aren't my thing. I'm a jealous guy. And the thought of kissing her lips after she'd just been kissing some other guy or putting me in where some other guy's been...it's disgusting and it creeps me out. I can't handle the thought of it, even if I knew that she loved me. It would drive me crazy." He raised his soft eyes to Yami's face guiltily, as if apologizing.

"A lot of men couldn't do it," Yami assured him, smiling, "and it takes a lot of confidence and trust in each other or yourself to know that you won't stray from the person that you should be with. But still, when you consider it, if she had fallen in love with another man, it would have hurt much more than what she _had_ done, am I right?" A corner of Jounouchi's mouth tilted up in reluctant agreement and he sighed, rubbing his forehead and then looked at Anzu, who had remained quiet through their exchange. She smiled at him a bit sadly and then set her cup down and moved around to where he was sitting, hugging him. Jounouchi returned the hug, sighing again, a bit more heavily.

"I should go," Jounouchi said, releasing her and standing up. "I've already intruded for too long." He rubbed his head, smiling at them. "I feel better now that I've talked to you guys. Listen, man...Yami...I really appreciate what you've said to me today." He held out a hand towards Yami, who looked at it a moment and then clasped it in his own. Jounouchi seemed to brighten a bit more and then he clapped him on the shoulder before stepping away.

"Are you sure?" Anzu queried worriedly. "I was about to make breakfast...you could stay..."

"No, no!" he hastily said, waving his hands. "I really need to get home before Shizuka wakes up and worries where I'm at. Besides, I'm exhausted. Food's the last thing on my mind. I know, surprising, but I really gotta get to bed. I hope I don't crash on the way home!"

"Jou – "

But Jounouchi ignored her, hurrying towards the door. She blinked as the door closed behind him a few seconds later. Yami had a dry, amused expression on his face. When Anzu turned to look at him, he said, "In spite of telling him otherwise, I think he may have believed he interrupted something." She blushed, embarrassed. Yami chuckled and then stood up, coming around to kiss her on the forehead. "I should be leaving soon, too, Anzu. As much as I'd like to stay to enjoy your breakfast, I do have some things I need to take care of with Kaiba, as far as finances as business go. But before I do, there is a small matter that we need to conclude."

"Is there?" she asked, appearing somewhat nervous.

He smiled comfortingly. "Nothing to do with us, dear."

"Oh."

"It's your mother. She's been requesting a meeting with her. I'd like for us to get that out of the way, perhaps the day of your auditions. After you do those, then you can deal with her and that way, if you'd like, I can be there with you if need be."

Anzu hesitated and then shook her head. "No, Yami, this is something I should do on my own. And I'm sure she will not rest until she can speak her mind freely to me without people interrupting her besides myself." She rested a hand on his arm. "But thank you. I appreciate the gesture." Yami's brow wrinkled, but she reached up and smoothed it and then pressed her lips to his briefly. "Don't worry about me. Please tell her that the night of our auditions will do fine with me." Upon seeing his puzzled expression, she explained, "After listening to Jounouchi, I was reminded of myself when I was younger...and there are some personal things that I need to tell her that she needs to know, regardless of whether it will make her feel guilty or not. I don't even care. I just want her to know...without my breaking down. And I think I've had enough time to adjust to be able to really talk with her. Maybe not for very long, but enough to satisfy her for now."

"Alright," he said slowly. "I'll pass the message along." He took her hand in both of his and raised it to his lips. "I'll have to leave you now, Anzu. I'll call you later to let you know about our next few practice sessions. I'll need to get a hold of Malik and Ryou."

"That sounds fine to me," she said, taking her cup of coffee and drinking from it again. He slipped his shoes on and then opened the door. "Yami?" He looked at her in question. "Thank you for staying over last night. It was nice."

"...Yes, it was nice," he agreed, reluctant to leave. He cleared his throat and then gave an awkward sort of smile before saying, "Talk to you soon." He waved and waited just long enough for her to wave back and then he was out of the door. Yami blew out a breath and then hurried down into the parking lot where his car was parked. If he could, he would have stayed the entire day with Anzu if he could have. It was strange, because he knew what everyone else was seeing, that he was caring far too much for her when he knew he shouldn't. It scared him to think of it, so he simply pushed it out of his mind.

_It's not as if I need to think any more on it right now, anyway,_ he told himself. Comforted by this, Yami pulled out of the parking lot and turned into the busy traffic. _Right now, the only thing that matters is getting Anzu this position and getting out of Domino. _

_TBC_

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DIS: Yay, thirteen pages...Sorry it took me so long, guys. As usual, I completed this when I came home early from work because I was sick. In any case, please leave a review telling me if you liked the chapter and if not, what didn't you like, etc., etc., etc. I'm excited for the next chapter – a lot is going to be happening! So, until then, ciao!


	27. Dancing in another world

DIS: Yikes, it's been awhile again. That seems to happen a lot with me...I can't help it, though. Where my free time was, I have occupied myself with Uncharted, Assassins Creed, and Zelda. Bahh. I am such a terrible updater! In any case, here is the next chapter. Thanks to every single person who has reviewed, I adore all of your feedback, it really helps me know where I need to go with the story!

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_Chapter Twenty-Seven, Distance from Another World_

Practicing thus far had gone well. The last days had concluded with little to no mistakes. Ryou and Malik often accompanied Anzu home so that they could continue to practice, to her insistence. Yami rarely saw Anzu during night anymore, mostly due to the fact that she and the other two dancers seemed to be glued at the hip to ensure her success. While this made him feel somewhat lonely and more than a bit like he was being rejected from some sort of "Secret Circle," he had his own things for which he needed to prepare. He and Kaiba had been taking dinner together lately in Kaiba's office or sometimes, rarely, at Yami's own house to get Yami's finances together.

"You're losing profit," Kaiba told him the night before the auditions. He and Yami were in the pianist's living room. Yami was lounging against the couch, drinking a glass of wine while Kaiba was sitting in a chair across from him, papers spread out on the coffee table, and a large calculator on Kaiba's knee. He had been punching in numbers for the past fifteen minutes, numbers that Yami had not been keeping track of nor had he been paying any attention to lately. It was clear, though, that there was some sort of hidden problem within those numbers if that was the conclusion that Kaiba's deductive skills had procured.

"Come again?"

"That shouldn't be a surprise," Kaiba told him mildly, taking a drink of his own wine and then loosening his collar a bit. "You haven't been performing lately, haven't been bringing in any money. You've been stagnant for quite a few months. Granted, some of your albums in Europe have been bringing in a bit of money, but not nearly enough given how much you spend and how much they take out of the profit from those albums, anyway. It doesn't help that you ended up getting pulled out of the concert series a short while ago, and now you haven't even attempted to get into another other concerts, here or in Europe. You're not making any money off of Anzu and I'm not so sure that you'll be making much off of her as her accompanist, either."

Yami frowned, considering this. It was true that his lifestyle was not at all a cheap one to maintain. He had several different residences that he had to pay on. Granted, most were not nearly as grand as his house in Domino, but that did not stop the fact that all of those expenses tended to add up. He had never worried about money before because he had always been working, getting paid well through contracts and there had always been money being pumped into his bank account. "How much have I lost?"

"I'd say...close to five percent of your usual income during these months. It's not much, but that percentage tends to jump up if you continue to spend."

"I can't do anything about the housing expenses," Yami said mildly, spreading his hands out. "I use every single one of those every year and not just for a few weeks, usually months at a time."

"Do you have any idea how much they'll offer Anzu for this contract with Swan Lake if she gets it?"

"No numbers have been mentioned...I don't think she even cares how much it is, but it's with a prestigious company, so I assume they'll offer a decent amount."

"Then you need to ask for fifty percent," Kaiba told him.

"I can't possibly ask for that much!" Yami replied, outraged. "She's doing the majority of the work, why should I ask for half of the profits?"

"Let's be honest, Yami. She wouldn't even have gotten this far without you as her accompanist. You introduced her to both Malik and Ryou, both of whom are two of the best dancers, and without them, she wouldn't have been able to adjust as well as she has. And besides that, do you really think that the judges aren't going to be impressed that one of the most infamous pianists is her accompanist? Your name alone will help her get the part of Odette."

"That's not how I want her to get the part, Kaiba."

"But that's how it works," his companion told him coolly. "Throw a few names around and those judges will be bowing to her and her connections. Anzu obviously is ignorant of this or she just doesn't care. I'm surprised you're acting so naïve, as if you didn't realize something like that would happen." Yami continued to frown, bothered by this revelation. Kaiba drummed his fingers on the coffee table, impatient with his client's stubborn nature. "Listen, I don't give a damn what you think about this, but the fact is that you deserve as much of the profit as Anzu does. See what she's willing to offer and _don't_ say no to her just because you have this stupid sense of nobility when it comes to women and taking their money. She's still technically your employer. It's time you accept that and get the money that you're due. Either that, or start cutting some expenses." He tapped where the pile of papers where to indicate what he meant.

_I can't cut many of the housing expenses I have, _Yami thought, attempting to find some way to avoid obtaining money from Anzu. Admittedly, at first he had every intention of getting money from Anzu, but now that he had developed feelings for her, he was uncomfortable with the possibility. _It's not as if we are dating or anything...not officially...or at all, really...Yet still it bothers me._

The doorbell rang abruptly, startling Yami out of his thoughts. He sighed, setting his wine glass aside and rising to his feet. Kaiba dug in his pocket and withdrew a pack of cigarettes and his lighter. "Open the window if you're going to start that," Yami told him, leaving the room towards the front door. Kaiba sent him a withering stare as he exited, which Yami pointedly ignored. At the front door, Yami raised his eyebrows upon seeing the two guests on his steps. "I thought you two were training with Anzu?"

"She still has work to go to," Ryou told him, smiling slightly. "And besides, we've exhausted every scene in Swan Lake. I'm confident of Anzu's ability to get the part by now."

"And you?" Yami questioned to Malik, stepping aside to allow them entry.

"I never thought she couldn't," he said snidely, smirking at Ryou, who rolled his eyes. Yami shook his head and shut the door behind them, following them as they entered the living room. Kaiba was lounging out the window, looking not too pleased. "Oh-ho! Look at the whipped dog, smoking out of a fuckin' window. What are you, Yami, a woman? Can't handle a bit of cigarette smoke in your house?"

"It stains the walls, Malik," Ryou told him, sighing, "and besides, cigarette smoke damages pianos, you know that."

"Where is this piano, pray tell? Across the house, that's where!"

Ignoring their bickering, Yami gathered the papers from the table and straightened them out. Yami wasn't all too worried about the audition himself, as he knew that he would do fantastically, having been accustomed to large audiences, but he wondered how Anzu would do in front of a panel that would immediately determine where she was to place as far as the part of Odette. He knew that Anzu was confident of her skills, but was she so confident that she would not stumble in her dancing? He wished that they had time to perform in front of strangers before she went in front of the judges, but he could do nothing about that.

"...has nothing to do with it, Kaiba, and you know it," Ryou was saying when Yami snapped out of his thoughts. He frowned, glancing at the usually benign dancer and then gave Malik a quizzical look. The blonde shrugged and then went into the kitchen. Yami heard him digging around for something, but rather than discovering what is was that Malik was searching for, he attended to the current conversation.

"I think that it would have to or else they wouldn't have gotten involved. You should have left it alone. I don't appreciate busy bodies getting into my business."

"I was simply giving them advice."

"Advice that fucked my clients out of a good chunk of their money," Kaiba replied, smashing his cigarette on the window sill and flicking it out. "I don't care what your intentions were, but my clients were furious and if my name gets connected to yours, I have to listen to them bitch and moan and then their attorney will bitch and moan and I'd rather not deal with their idiocy."

"Oh, yes, what an inconvenience that would be," was the sarcastic quip. Kaiba's eyes narrowed dangerously, but Yami quickly intervened.

"Alright, enough. Let's just settle down. We don't need to discuss business right now, anyway. We have enough on our hands. Did you ever get to booking my ticket for me, Kaiba, or were you not able to do that?"

"Yes, of course," Kaiba said, giving Yami a look as though to say, 'Just who do you think I am?' "And the date on that ticket had better not change. Your flight into Paris is going to stay that way _and_ you'll have a week, if not more. I didn't buy a round trip ticket, so you'll have to figure that out on your own." Yami nodded, seeming to think on it for a long moment.

"You're doing the right thing, Yami," Ryou assured him as Malik entered the room with vodka-crans for everyone. "She'll be safe here with us. Malik and I will look after her and her friends will keep a close eye on her, too. I actually suggested to her..." He hesitated and then glanced at Malik, as though asking a question. Yami paused in drinking from his cup, looking from one male to the other.

"What? You suggested what?" Yami demanded.

"Well, I suggested that perhaps she should ask her mother to use her influence to keep her safe. Anzu was not all that inclined towards the idea, but I think given her mother's position and _last_ position, for that matter, she would do well to suggest it. I'm sure that Sakura would very much like to do that for her. But I ran into the problem of explaining _why_ Anzu would want these protections and I eventually just gave up on the idea altogether."

"It would be nice...," Yami slowly said, "but those people can be bought. I would not trust them to know who Anzu is, let alone have them watching her every move. You never know what might happen to her."

"True...very true," Ryou admitted, appearing slightly crestfallen, although more ashamed than anything. "How stupid of me. I never even thought of that."

"That's because you always want to _help_ people," Kaiba sneered.

"Enough," Yami cut in before Ryou could respond. "I appreciate the thought, Ryou, but for now, I want only you two watching over her. Kaiba will be going out of town for a few days during that week, as well, just as a precaution. I don't want anyone passing through here and notice so many...well, so many _conspicuous _people being clustered together. It wouldn't do well. I think it might do well for you two to try and remain on the low if you could, too."

"_I _have no reason to stay low," Malik cockily stated. "And neither does Ryou. We're dancers. We've always attended these auditions together, especially if they are in an arts hotspot, which Domino most certainly is. As far as I am concerned, we are safe as we are."

"You'd best be," was all Yami said.

"Cheers! Bottoms up, boys," Malik brightly said and as one, the men finished their drinks.

X

Anzu had been lying in bed for some time after her alarm had gone off. She knew that she had set it as early as she had in case she had a fit of nerves. She simply did not know that they would be this bad. _It's not as though I haven't performed in front of people before, _she told herself. _I always dance in front of Malik and Ryou and Yami and I've danced in front of papa and teachers, so why am I so nervous about dancing in front of judges? They're basically the same, right? _Anzu was finding it hard to find that argument believable.

Her cell rang abruptly, startling her from her thoughts. Taking a deep breath, she rolled over and answered, "Hello?"

"Good morning, Anzu," Yami pleasantly replied. "I'm on my way with Ryou and Malik, I'm just making sure that you're ready."

"Yami, I...I don't think I can do this."

"It's natural to feel a little nervous before a big audition," he told her reassuringly. "You know this dance by heart, Anzu. You have no reason to be nervous. Your family and friends will be there and you can't let Ryou and Malik down, either, you know. They'd feel like they practiced with you for nothing. You can't simply give up." Anzu knew his words were true, but still she hesitated. "Listen, you're going to be amazing. Don't worry about it. We'll be there soon, so get ready."

"Alright...see you soon." Anzu hung up, despondent and anxious. She got out of bed and released a long sigh. After giving herself a mental pep talk to simply make herself get out of her bedroom, she took a quick shower and her hair was still wet by the time the doorbell rang. She was shoving her pointe shoes on alternately as she ran to the door and she unlocked it, smiling at the men standing in the doorway. "I just have to blow dry my hair and grab my paperwork and I'll be ready."

"Well, hurry it up!" Malik called after her, tossing himself on the couch. When the other three men scowled at him, he gave them a blank look. "What?" he queried. When only Ryou continued to look at him, he spread his hands out. "Did I say something wrong?" Ryou merely shook his head with an exasperated look. As Anzu came back through with a loose tunic sweater over her leotard, she slapped Malik upside the head. "OW! What the hell was that for?"

"For rushing me," she stated plainly. "Alright, let's go!" She gave a bright smile to Yami, who returned it. As Malik followed behind them, Otogi snickered at him, to which he glared at him.

The car ride was silent for the most part, with only the light sound of music coming from the radio. Anzu was jiggling her legs anxiously. Yami glanced at her, smiling slightly, but said nothing. When they arrived at the theater where the auditions would take place, they headed inside and Anzu gave the woman her paperwork. The woman smiled and looked over it and then handed her a number. "You'll be more towards the end, dear," she told her. "Go ahead and take a seat inside." Anzu nodded and gave a tremulous smile.

"Good luck!" Ryou whispered as he and Malik parted from the other three. Anzu clutched the number in her hand and followed Yami and Otogi inside to where the other dancers were sitting. She paled when she saw how many other women were auditioning. As she moved to leave, Yami and Otogi both took an arm and hauled her back to where she would be sitting.

"Many of these girls' accompanists don't look nearly as professional as I would have thought," Otogi muttered to Yami, who nodded slowly.

"I would have to agree," he said. "That'll give us an advantage, at least, won't it?" He smiled at Anzu, who was seated between them. "Anzu, stop worrying so much." He put an arm around her and pulled her to him in a brief hug. "You'll be fine."

"But there are so many other people auditioning..."

"Yes, there usually is. And when you get this part, you'll likely be able to secure a contract with the company, which could be very advantageous for you. You'll be able to begin your career immediately."

Anzu was not all that interested in thinking of where her career was going at the moment and as they waited, she continued to jiggle her legs, listening to numbers called out and then listening to the accompaniment for each dancer's part. She could tell that Yami's piano skills were far superior to any of the other accompanists. And, she noted, no one else had two accompanists. Regardless of that fact, however, she still was nervous with the entire situation. When her number, "146!" was called, she froze. In addition to her number, two other numbers were called, but she did not hear it over the rush in her ears that seemed to be deafening her. Yami gently took her hand and squeezed it, standing. She followed him and took a deep, calming breath before stepping onto the stage. There were five judges, including Malik, and the others were reading through her paperwork, it appeared. Malik smirked at her and gave a subtle little wave with his fingers. The one in the center, whose nameplate read Andre Corbier, looked at her beneath his heavy brow with a critical stare. "Good afternoon," he greeted. "Perform act two, scene three, if you will. Accompaniment." He gestured his hand to Yami and Otogi, who inclined their heads.

"Focus on me," Yami whispered and gave her a quick smile. She nodded and he settled at the piano while Otogi removed his violin. Anzu took a deep breath and smiled at the man who appeared to be the other number, auditioning for Siegfried. The man on the other side of him appeared to be auditioning for the part of Rothbart. They positioned themselves, with her in front of him and her hands in the male's and waited patiently for a moment before the music began. One thing that Anzu noticed immediately was how different it was to dance with someone else after having danced with Ryou and Malik for such a long period of time. As she leapt, her legs splayed apart, she felt a slight discomfort, having no trust for her partner and therefore uncomfortable with the thought of him being in control of holding her weight. However, as the scene continued, she grew more comfortable and even though she was fearful of what the judges thought, she always looked to Yami to become reassured. His face, peaceful and serene, was enough to calm her own rapid heartbeat. As she spun from her partner, envisioning an invisible Rothbart, she felt the music and the ballet smother her anxieties.

It was easy, she found, to become engrossed in her dancing and to forget that she was competing for this part. She slipped onto her toes easily, her arms arcing elegantly and her steps light as she and her partner joined again. She kept her body relaxed, her legs and arms floating upward, seeming to have no weight. She was unbothered by the blunders he made, as most times it did not cause her to make problems. If his poor dancing affected her own, she was certain that she would end up tripping all over the stage; so, instead she ignored it and hoped he did not make more mistakes. She spun around, his hands on her waist, and then she dipped down towards the floor, his hand her only means of support. Anzu had only had a few experiences with the man playing Rothbart, but when he lifted her up and drifted backward, as he was to do, she forced herself to relax, even though she did not much trust his handling of her, either.

All too soon, the scene ended and the three dancers returned to their earlier position, where they bowed and then left the stage. Yami was waiting for her with a bright smile. She bit her lip to contain her own smile. "Did I do okay?" she whispered.

"You did beautifully," Otogi assured her, having been the one with his eyes open.

They exited the stage and only after the other dancers had finished were they allowed back into the lobby. They had another hour or so to wait until the judges would give their decision. As soon as Anzu entered the lobby, there was an explosion of noise around her. Startled, Anzu looked up and was surprised to find all of her friends there. Mai, Miho, Shizuka, Jounouchi, Honda, Ryou, her father, and even Kaiba were all there. Anzu laughed, putting her hands to her face and tearing up.

"You looked wonderful, Anzu!" Miho said and she hugged her and then handed her over to Mai and Shizuka, who surrounded her in their arms.

"It was fantastic!" Mai told her, pulling back and grinning.

Her father handed her a bouquet of flowers that she pushed her face in and breathed in. As her friends continued their exclamations, Anzu could not help but look towards Yami, who was talking with Kaiba, who had given a cordial congratulations to her. Kaiba said something that caused Yami to chuckle and shake his head. His eyes met hers and she blushed, looking away, embarrassed.

After the initial commotion, Anzu settled into some seats with the girls and waited for the results, just as the other dancers were. Others were with their family and friends, with the lobby becoming nearly stifling to be in. Anzu clutched to her flowers, knowing that she would need them when they announced the results and she was not given the part as Odette. _I wouldn't mind a different part, _she admitted_, just so long as I get _some_thing. _She sniffed at her flowers again and listened as her three girlfriends chattered about the dancers and the men, Mai remarking rather candidly about the leotards the men were wearing. The hour seemed to drag for Anzu as she worried about the results, but for her friends it seemed to zip by.

"Attention! Please, attention, everyone!" a voice was calling over the commotion. There was a pause in which the noise slowly died away. Anzu held her flowers harder, sending a prayer up just for luck. "We have made a decision. Please listen for your number, followed by your name, and the part received." Anzu listened as numbers and names were listed from the lowest dancing position in the ballet, slowly growing to larger parts. She felt her nails biting into her hand as the voice called out the number for Rothbart, and then Seigfried. "And, finally, for the part of Princess Odette," the caller said and Anzu felt her friends press up against her, holding her shoulder, "we have number...146, Anzu Mazaki."

Anzu had become frozen, staring ahead of her in shock.

"_Anzu! You got the part!_" Miho said, shaking her.

"Anzu Mazaki?" the man called again. Her friends shoved her to her feet and Anzu shook herself awake, handing the flowers to Shizuka and pushing her way through the people to the front. She was surprised to find that it was the judge, Andre Corbier, who was standing, calling out the names. When he saw her, he gave a crooked smile and handed her a stack of papers. "Congratulations, Miss Mazaki," he said. She took the papers, dazed. "Wonderful dancing. We truly were impressed."

"Oh...thank you, sir," she murmured, bowing, snapping out of her thoughts.

"We'll see you here next week on Monday." He winked at her with the same crooked grin and she allowed herself a small, silly smile. She turned as he was sending his apologies to all other dancers, remarking on the large amount of talent, and other such things. Anzu, however, pushed her way through the people again and soon as she saw Yami, her face lit up with a smile.

"Great jo – " He wasn't given a chance to finish as she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. Startled, but not at all displeased, he pulled her close, returning the kiss and when she withdrew, he gave her a puzzled look, his eyes flicking to the surprised and mischievous expressions on the crowd around them.

"Thank you," Anzu told him simply, smiling as happy tears gathered in her eyes. "I couldn't have gotten this far without you."

"No," he said quietly, "thank _you_, Anzu." He kissed her briefly, a sweet kiss, and then hugged her. He knew that she had no idea what it was that he was thanking her for, but it hardly mattered. At that moment, Yami knew he had everything he needed in life. Anzu, for her part, had never felt the amount of happiness she did at that moment. Surrounded by the most important people in her life, she had finally achieved her dreams and now she could only go forward. She only hoped that Yami would be able to go forward with her.

_TBC_

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DIS: Phew. I pounded out the last half of this chapter in the middle of class in an hour. Again, sorry for the delay everyone. But I hope it was worth it? Let me know how you liked it, if there's anything you're interested in seeing, etc. in a review or a PM if you prefer. Ciao!


	28. Story of two lovers

DIS: There are a handful of songs that inspired this chapter. **"Leo"** by Ludovico Einaudi and **"Dancing Spirits"** by Steven Cravis are just two. Thanks to everyone that reviewed, you have no idea what it means to authors to have people giving feedback on our work, especially after such a dry spell. With this said, here is the next chapter!

X

_Chapter Twenty-Eight, Story of two lovers_

Kaiba snapped the briefcase closed and finished the wine in his glass, tipping the glass back and swallowing the last bit. He glanced towards the hallway, where he could hear the thrums of the piano. He blew out an impatient breath and glanced at the one simple suitcase that Yami had packed. He set the glass down and moved through the house into the room where the grand piano was situated. He stopped a few feet from the piano, frowning at Yami. His fingers darted over the keys in a quick succession of notes and when he opened an eye to look at Kaiba, his fingers hit the ending notes and he rested his hands on the keys, querying, "What is it?"

"We need to leave soon if we want to meet our flight." Yami nodded, appearing thoughtful and then rose from the bench. Kaiba watched him with a guarded expression. He knew that Yami was worried for Anzu, but as he had been telling the male the entire ride back to Yami's home, she would be far safer here than with him around. After all, Malik was not unskilled in certain areas and would certainly slit anyone's throat if they so much as dared to threaten his student. As the two of them went about locking doors, windows, and shutting off lights, Kaiba could not help but reflect on the relationship that Yami had developed with the dancer. Certainly, Malik or Ryou would not have bothered with Anzu had she not been introduced to them by him, but Yami had gotten himself involved on an entirely different level and yes, it had been due to Otogi trying to help a friend, but nonetheless, it had been Yami who had allowed that certain development to get to the point that it had. _I wonder what he will do, _Kaiba mused, _when he realizes he can't simply slip his way out of Anzu's grasp. _

"Alright," Yami said after exiting the kitchen, shutting the last lights off, "let's go." He picked up his suitcase and followed Kaiba out of the house, locking it behind him. "I really do not want to go to Europe right now...They have more people over there than they do in the states."

"A little danger would be good for you," Kaiba grunted, pausing to light a cigarette. His remark earned him a dirty look from his companion, who appeared less-than-amused. Kaiba blew out a sigh of smoke, smirking at him. "Maybe you won't go around senselessly flirting with innocent dancers." Yami's lips pursed and the slightest bit of pink entered his cheeks, as though he had been accused of a heinous crime. "I can only imagine how shocking it will be for her when you two get in the bedroom. Nice, gentle Yami will no longer be the persona that she'll have on you."

"And _you_ would know what persona I have in the bedroom how?" Yami demanded to know as Kaiba popped the trunk, allowing him to toss his suitcase inside.

"As if your former girlfriends didn't gossip about that type of stuff. I had no choice but to hear it."

"Great..."

"Thankfully you piss them off too much at the end of the relationship that Anzu won't have to deal with any of them. I doubt they have any regrets." Kaiba shut the trunk and the two males slipped into the car, with Yami looking far moodier than he had a moment ago. When he remained silent, Kaiba cast a curious look to him, noticing that he appeared deep in thought. "Listen, don't bother thinking about the future of your relationship with her," Kaiba said as he started the car, pulling from the curb after a quick glance towards traffic. "If you'll recall, the majority of the women that you've been with have been dumb bimbos with very little to offer except interest in your money. Anzu clearly has no interest in money and seems too focused on establishing her career to bother with going after your money. She lives in a shanty of an apartment – "

"Shanty? Really, Kaiba?"

" – and has yet to try and go after your assets," he continued, ignoring Yami's sarcastic tone. "If you two ever do end, she'll likely go her own way without any hard feelings, regardless of how you act. She's impervious to people being rude to her, it seems. All she does is put them in their place."

Yami chuckled. "So you admit that the great Seto Kaiba got told off by a small girl?"

"Excuse me?" Kaiba coldly replied, flicking a warning look to the pianist, who simply smirked at him. "Who ever said that I was talking of myself?"

Yami smirked slightly, but let the conversation end there. Kaiba rolled away and Yami stared out of the window, thinking of the female in question. It had been hard saying goodbye to her, with so little time to celebrate her success at the auditions. Malik had not been able to say much to her, either, with how busy he was with the rest of the auditions. Instead, Yami had left Anzu in Ryou's care, who had assured him of her safety. He pressed the palm of his head to his temple as he reconsidered the meeting he had with Anzu.

"Paris, huh?" she said, looking up at him. They were walking around the block, just enough time to give them to say goodbye and all that Kaiba or Ryou would allow. "That's so far away from here...it's in an entirely different continent." Yami looked down at her and smiled, bringing their clasped hands up and kissing her knuckles.

"It is far away," he agreed, "but I'll always be returning to Domino and to Japan." Anzu paused and bowed her head, staring down at their hands thoughtfully. Yami watched her for a long moment and then released her hand, tilting her face up, framing it with his hands. "Anzu...even if we're thousands of miles apart, I'll always be thinking of you."

"I know it's silly," she admitted with a laugh, "but I can't stop thinking of what you said about how you get at social parties...and what you said to Jounouchi."

"Um...well, yes...I can understand that," he told her awkwardly, instantly thrown off balance. She slanted a look up at his flustered face. "But this is different. It's just as Jounouchi said. I think we can rightly say that the agreement we have is similar to his and Mai's. I have no intention or any interest in being with another woman. You're the only one that I want and even if another woman tried to tempt me, there would be nothing appealing in her. You're the only one I want." Anzu offered a tiny smile.

"Well...alright. I suppose."

He gave a relieved sigh and then kissed her nose. "I promise." He took her hand and linked his pinky finger in hers. She tightened hers around it and then turned away, strolling ahead of him. He watched her thoughtfully. She was still in her leotard and tunic sweater from the auditions. She turned to flash a teasing smile at him, giggling a bit. His own lips curved in a smile and he followed her, slipping an arm around her and pulling her to his side briefly to kiss her temple. She beamed up at him and then cuddled up to his side, walking leisurely with him.

Even though he was about to leave, Yami had never felt such contentment in his life. They had achieved what they had meant to in all the weeks of working together and that was all that mattered for Anzu right then. He would miss her enormously, of course, but every time he looked into her face, it only strengthened his resolve to go so that she might be safe from his parents. If he lost Domino as his safe place, he might have to go on the offensive. He would not leave Domino and he certainly would not allow them to poke around and find out his involvement with the people here. There were too many people that he knew that did not deserve to be harmed. Anzu, of all the people, did not deserve to be subjected to their brutality.

As they rounded the block, they saw the crowd of people outside the building and on the edge of the crowd Kaiba was standing, appearing impatient. As soon as he spotted them, he pushed off from the side of the building. Yami paused some feet away from him and said quietly, "I'll miss you."

She gave a tremulous smile. "I know. I'll miss you, too."

As Yami recalled her sweet face in his mind, he found it amazing that in the past days she and him had spent an unending amount of time together, nearly attached at the hip, and yet he would now have to be parted from her. It was such a short amount of time, with them having met each other barely a month ago; yet, in spite of that, Yami had never felt such powerful emotions for any woman. He shied away from the word that kept plunging him into a dark abyss of anxiety and in fact would warp it into another word entirely. It did not, however, change how he felt and the reality of that impacted him more than he wanted to admit.

He shook himself from these thoughts as Kaiba pulled up to the airport. "I can't go inside with you," he told him, popping the trunk, "but your plane will be leaving in a little over a half hour, so I'd hurry and get your baggage checked and through security so you don't miss it."

"I won't," Yami assured. As he got out of the car, he paused and said, "Thank you." Kaiba merely grunted in response, rummaging through his pockets. "You really need to quit doing that, by the way."

"I didn't ask for health advice," Kaiba replied in a bored tone. "If I wanted that, I'd go to the doctor."

"Maybe you should," Yami said, shutting the door before he was able to receive a response. After he removed his luggage, he shut the trunk and left inside to the airport.

"Ass," Kaiba muttered to himself, scowling.

X

Anzu checked her phone, standing alone at the restaurant that Kaiba had told her she was to meet Sakura. She had been unable to partake in the celebrations that Jounouchi and the others had wanted to throw for her, explaining that she had something else to take care of before the night was over. Jounouchi had promptly booed at this, but her father had given her a knowing look, perhaps aware that the only other thing that she could possibly do would involve her mother. Rather than mentioning it, though, he had simply hugged her. Anzu hadn't had the chance to change out of her leotard yet and was feeling particularly underdressed for this meeting. She sighed, crossing her arms and swaying on her feet impatiently. At last, she heard a call of her name and she turned to see Sakura standing a few feet from her, clearly having just entered the restaurant. "Shall we get a seat?" she suggested. Anzu nodded mutely and the waiter, seeing that Anzu's party member had joined her, led them to a table in the back corner next to a window. Sakura murmured a polite 'thank you,' and the waiter then disappeared after serving them water. "I hope you don't mind if I ask how the auditions went?"

"No," Anzu said in a mild tone. "I got the part of Odette."

"I knew you would." Anzu was silent to this, taking a drink of her water. Sakura had her hands folded on the table and was surveying her daughter thoughtfully. She was pleased that she had finally been granted the meeting that she was promised, but she found herself unsure of where to start the conversation. She had been overjoyed to learn that it would be just her and her daughter, but now she found that without the three men there to interrupt, it was almost as though she could not bring herself to draw up any conversation. Sakura lifted her cup to her lips, sipping at her water, her brow creasing with worry.

"What did you want to meet about?" Anzu asked at last.

"I...just wanted to see you," Sakura said after a brief hesitation. Something stirred behind Anzu's cool azure depths, but she continued to gaze at her, waiting for Sakura to continue. "Anzu...I owe you an explanation for everything. I know that it won't make you happy, but I want you to at least understand. I know you've gained a little knowledge from Yami – and Malik and Seto Kaiba, too, I'm willing to bet – but I was romantically involved with Jiiro and I want to tell you more about him." Anzu opened her mouth, perhaps to say that she could care less, but Sakura interrupted, "And more about Yami, for that matter. They were very intimately involved."

There was a heavy silence that Anzu did not break, although at the mention of Yami, her face had softened ever so much.

"Just let me tell you my story. When I met Jiiro, I was still with Seiji and I knew him to only be a pianist. He was at one of the scenes that I was reporting at. I had just finished making a report about a convention that was being held in Shibuya for classical musicians. It wasn't open to the public except for those that were invited. I had just finished my report and it was the end of my day. We were invited inside by the director to see inside and meet a few of the musicians, which was where I had met Jiiro. I had always been interested in classical music, as I had once been a dance instructor. He was charming and informative. In many ways, he reminded me of your father, teaching me things that I never knew. I took the card he offered me and I waited a long time before I contacted him. I was tortured by the thought of being married and with a child, yet I was drawn to him. We met constantly for many months. By the time I knew what was happening, I had fallen in love with him. I knew nothing of his underworld connections when I had fallen for him. I only knew him as a musician, passionate and completely loyal in his work."

Sakura paused, recalling some of the days that she would sneak off while Seiji was at work and Anzu was at school. She remembered one day when she was lying on his couch, listening to him play a beautiful tune on the piano. When the music faded, she hadn't even opened her eyes until he deep-throated chuckle rose above her. "He was beautiful," she continued, his face forming in front of her from the memory, "and I was lost to everything else. When he told me that he loved me, he said that he needed to tell me the truth of his life before he let me tell him my feelings. That was when I learned of the type of world he was a leader of and the type of man he could be. I didn't make my decision lightly, Anzu. I stopped talking to him after I learned that, but I was tortured over the thought of not being with him. I loved your father still, but Jiiro was like an obsession. Even with as much as I loved your father, Jiiro would creep into my mind at night."

"I don't understand," Anzu interrupted. "Is that what made you go back to him? Knowing what type of man he was?"

"He wasn't a bad man, Anzu," Sakura told her softly. "He let me choose rather than deceive me. He let me know something that I should not have been allowed to leave him knowing about. But he trusted me and he loved me and wanted what was best for me. He had a sense of honor that I had never known another man to have. It was this that ultimately made me go back to him. It was a hard decision. I loved you and your father, but Jiiro was offering me so much and after being with him, I knew I couldn't truly be happy with Seiji. I was selfish, I know, but I did not do it recklessly. The most that your father knew was that Jiiro was a pianist."

"How did he know?"

"I put it in my letter that I left him." Sakura sighed. "In any case, everything after that is a blur...I stayed behind the scenes as much as I could, rarely visiting his mansion in the countryside where many of the underworld activities happened. Jiiro needed me for some things, though, and being younger and not as intelligent, I caved and I did what I could to help him. It was so easy. Many of the men were weak to the soft touches or whispers of a woman. I had been hesitant at first, knowing that Jiiro would be killing the men, yet I told myself that I had to do everything I could to help the man I loved. But there were times, late at night, after I had sacrificed my dignity, that I regretted everything. There were times when I looked back and cried and wished I was back at home with my family. Many times, when I would see children or a family while I was entertaining guests with Jiiro at his townhouse, I would think of you. I never stopped missing you, Anzu. I had to give up Seiji for Jiiro, but he understood how much I grieved leaving you. I was a mother. He understood that instinct."

She paused briefly. "I know that you want to hear about Yami, so I'll tell you. He was still working for Jiiro while I was with him, although I never talked to him myself. He was often at the townhouse, being tutored by Jiiro. I still remember him, barely a teenager, intently practicing piano for Jiiro. So few people knew about me that I was content to keep it that way, but I would occasionally peek in on them. Jiiro wanted a child of his own so dearly, but in the environment he lived in, he would never give birth to one. He feared for its life. But Yami...he was as close to a son as he would get. He always spoke so highly of him. At first, all I could remember was what Jiiro would say when Yami had left, but after everything, when I was thinking of how to tell this to you, I remembered all the praise he had for Yami. He truly loved him as a son. Yami caused all sorts of trouble with his own parents, yet Jiiro protected him as much as he could as one of the underworld leaders."

"If he loved Yami as a son, why didn't he stop his parents?" Anzu demanded, knowing that Sakura must have knowledge of Yami's family. "He should have stopped them from pursuing him!"

"He could only do so much. If he showed that type of protection, he could have compromised himself and his position – and me. He cared little for his own life so long as those that he loved were safe, but he valued me more than Yami. He was confident that Yami could protect himself against them, but he didn't want his world unleashed on me, an innocent with little to no dealings with it. The men that _had _met me had died almost immediately after meeting me. Nobody knew of me." She paused as the waiter came to take their orders. Sakura ordered a drink while Anzu declined, saying she would not be having anything. A moment later, Sakura's martini came and she took a sip of it experimentally. "Jiiro was not a harsh man and for him, the underworld was nothing more than business. He did not play dirty like many of the other men did and because of that, he ended up with many other clients and many others that were willing to work under him – like Yami – rather than the other leaders. Jiiro held to the code while others were willing to overlook it or manipulate it to their own advantage." She halted a moment, allowing Anzu to absorb this. "Anzu, the underworld is not a safe world. After Jiiro died, I eliminated all contact I had with it. I slipped out of the townhouse and I moved here to Domino. Nobody except for Jiiro's musician friends knew that I existed and even then, it was not surprising, for some knew my name because of my days as a dance instructor. I was able to leave easily, yet with a price. I didn't have the protection that Jiiro had offered me. If anyone from the underworld found out about me, they had to track me down."

"But would anyone need to track you down? Malik seemed to do it fairly easily."

"Malik is lucky in that. He had connections with Kaiba and Yami and you were involved otherwise I doubt that Kaiba would had given that information to him. In fact, he is the only one that would be able to link my name to the vague title of Jiiro's 'girlfriend.' Jiiro rarely released my name and those that he did, he made it clear that we were not dating, but were work partners. Instead, he had another woman that was staying at his townhouse in order to cover for me play the part of his girlfriend. He wanted no one to be able to track me to him."

"Then...why did Kaiba know?"

"Kaiba only knows because of a file that he gained when he took over the corporation, along with all of his father's possessions. Jiiro meant for that file to be the only link between me and him so that when he died, Kaiba's father would know where all of his assets, etc. were to go."

"But he wasn't a _lawyer_!"

"No, but Kaiba's father had many small things set up in order to make more money and because he was such a good businessman, people were willing to trust him."

Anzu fell silent, unsure of what to say to all of this. Jiiro certainly was painted in an entirely different picture than Malik had made him out to be. Yami had been fairly quiet about Jiiro and hadn't seemed inclined to enter the conversation when it involved him and perhaps it was because of Jiiro being his tutor, making it a sensitive topic. At last, Anzu said, "I don't understand why you think this will make me view you any differently. You still abandoned us."

"I'm not trying to persuade you, Anzu, I just want you to hear my side of the story and to know of the dangers that the underworld poses. They may approach you later, when you become more well-known. They love to involve famous dancers and musicians. It is almost their way of controlling competition. I just want you to be careful. I don't want you to be put in the situation that I was and I know...I know that Yami is still tied to that world, even though he loathes it. Even as your accompanist, it can bring you danger. Just please...be careful. That's all I ask of you."

She considered her mother for a long time and while the dislike she felt for Sakura had not faded, she could sense genuine concern and it did touch her the slightest bit. It would never make up for everything that Anzu and her father had to endure in the years after Sakura left, but Sakura was still making an effort to warn her, in spite of everything Anzu had said to her and in spite of all the mistrust she was experiencing from her daughter. Anzu sighed, turning from her and gazing out the window for a long time. Her eyes drifted above the buildings to the night sky that was barely visible above the tall stacks of steel and glass. Even though they were discussing something entirely different, Anzu's mind went to Yami. She wished that he had been the one to tell her this and mentioning him even the slightest made her yearn for him. She wished he was here to smile at her encouragingly and squeeze her shoulder, as she knew he would.

"I'm not stupid," Anzu stated, turning away from the window. "They've already told me about the dangers and I know I have to be on my guard from now on." Sakura eyed her carefully and then slowly nodded.

"So long as you're going to be careful...then I suppose I am satisfied." Sakura took a last drink of her martini and then waved the waiter over to get the check. Anzu was silent as the waiter disappeared with Sakura's card and then reappeared with the check, leaving it with them without any remarks. Anzu watched Sakura add a tip and total the amount, signing her name.

"Is that really all you had to tell me?" Anzu asked her as Sakura slipped her wallet back into her purse. She paused, looking at Anzu with a puzzled expression.

"There's not anything _to_ tell you, Anzu. You know much of everything already." After Sakura had collected her purse, they left the restaurant. Outside, Sakura gave a small smile and said, "Well...again, congrats on the audition, Anzu. You know where to find me if you'd like to talk." Anzu watched her as she turned and hesitated a moment.

"How did he die?"

Sakura halted and then slowly turned back to look at her daughter. Anzu had spoken quietly, as if she were afraid to ask, and her small voice had reminded Sakura of when she was a daughter, innocent and oblivious to all other things. Anzu stood in the middle of the sidewalk, a strange look upon her face. It was a cross between regret at asking the question and uncertainty. Sakura considered her for a moment and then sighed, looking down at her feet, collecting her thoughts. The death of her lover was a hard thing to consider, with it being so recent. At last, she raised her head and said in quiet voice, "He killed himself." Anzu stared at her, her face transforming to horror. Sakura closed her eyes briefly, tightly. "Our entire relationship...he had severe bouts of depression. When I left with the other woman in the townhouse one morning to go to the market, we returned and he was...dead. He had hung himself. It was not an easy thing to come home to. I miss him greatly...and have always blamed myself for not keeping him happy."

"...I'm sorry." Sakura opened her eyes to see that her daughter appeared sincere in her words.

"I am also sorry, Anzu," Sakura told her softly. "For everything." She smiled sadly and this time, she turned from Anzu and hurried down the sidewalk. Warm trails trickled down her cheeks and she wiped her tears away hastily. She was not crying simply because of her daughter, but because it opened an old wound. She missed Jiiro intensely and she remembered all too well the scene that she had walked into, seeing Jiiro swinging around like a ragdoll from the ceiling. The other woman had been shrieking, but Sakura could do nothing but stare at the sight in amazement. Later, as she sat in the middle of the room, she dimly heard sirens and only then did the grief hit. She had slumped onto the floor and sobbed, rocking back and forth.

"_It's all my fault, Jiiro...It's all my fault...I shouldn't have left you alone...I wasn't good enough for you..."_

Sakura stifled a sob, pressing her hand to her lips as his face swam in front of her vision again.

X

DIS: I was going to make this chapter longer with more scenes, but I decided to go a different route for this. I'm glad I finally was able to finish this chapter, though. After _forever_! I have the content in my head for the next chapter, so hopefully updates should go smoothly. (crosses fingers) I had to re-read the entire story in order to remember everything that had happened and grab some details since it's been so long. In any case, as always I am sorry for my slow update, but please leave some feedback in a review and let me know if you liked it or not and constructive criticism is always embraced! Ciao!


	29. Quiet Domino

DIS: Now that I was able to read through the story, I'm all inspired again. I guess I should have done that a long time ago. In any case, thanks to everyone who reviewed and here is the next installment! The scene at the end of the chapter was inspired by the song, **Fallen Leaves** by Dan Gibson from his album, _Forest Cello_.

X

_Chapter Twenty-Nine, Quiet Domino_

It took an entire other week until the auditions were officially finished. During that week, Anzu had been able to alter her work schedule so that she would work in the evenings with Miho, as her practices would be in the mornings and she wasn't quite willing to give up her job at the café. She had already met with the instructors that would be putting together the ballet and had already discussed wages with them. She was surprised at the amount they were willing to offer, but was relieved that she would be able to finally pay Yami. Anzu was unconcerned about her own bills so long as she had her job at the café and even though the majority of the money from the ballet would go to Yami, she didn't mind – definitely deserved it for everything he had done.

With the departure of her dear friend and her own preoccupation, things seem to go quiet in Domino. She heard less from Mai, but also heard no concerns voiced by Jounouchi about the female, so she assumed that her time with Malik was...therapeutic, to say the least. Kaiba did not visit at all after Yami had left and Anzu had no reason to contact him, although she had saved his card. The days dragged by and as they did, they became cooler with the autumn air. More and more customers were dwelling in the café, keeping her and the other girls busy as they ordered hot chocolates, chai teas, and caramel ciders. The girls had taken to keeping a heater beneath the counter for whoever worked the cash wrap, as the door constantly blew in cool air. As Anzu sat at the cash wrap, she flipped through a magazine that one of the customers had left behind. Her feet were hanging in front of the heater, where it whirred beneath her. Miho was behind her, humming and washing down the counter.

Anzu sighed and shut the magazine, setting it aside and checking the time on her watch. They still had another hour before they had to close. She sighed again and dropped her hands, glancing over at the lobby that was full of customers murmuring to each other, huddled in their seats. She smiled slightly and slipped off the stool. She was dressed for cool clothing in black leggings, grey leg warmers and a long-sleeved maroon sweater dress. "I'm going to check on the customers," she told Miho, who bobbed her head. After Anzu went around and asked if anyone wanted a refill, getting a few affirmatives, she returned to the counter and handed the orders to Miho as the two of them began to make the drinks. In the middle of one, she felt a gust of cool air pass over her feet and turned to greet the customer, but paused in seeing Malik.

"This weather sucks," he said bluntly, bundled in a heavy jacket and a scarf. Anzu laughed.

"Hold on," she told him and after preparing the drink, she gave the cup to Miho and took the drinks they were finished, moving through the customers and handing them the drinks. When she returned, Miho was leaving to dispose of the last drinks. "Let me make you something, it'll be on the house."

"Anything warm," he muttered, hunching his shoulders. Anzu smiled, amused, and after making him an apple cider, she ushered him around the counter. He gave her a suspicious look, but did as she bid. Spotting the heater, he immediately went and stood by it.

"You must have just got done with auditions," she said, washing the shot glasses used and the steam wand on the machine.

"The last ones, finally," Malik grumbled, taking a cautious sip of his apple cider. "I understand why they auditioned for the big parts instead – so that those who didn't get their part could try the smaller parts – but that doesn't mean I have to be happy about it. They didn't even do it the way I'm accustomed, just throwing you out there with people. I had thought they were going to do two different parts, which is what they usually do. They must be strapped on time." He fell silent at that, warming his hands with the cup. Anzu stood next to him, watched as Miho walked back up to the counter.

"I'm so tired," Miho yawned. "I'm going to take my break real quick, Anzu. Do you mind?" Anzu shook her head.

"No, go ahead."

After she had gone, Malik cleared his throat and said, "So...listen." Anzu turned to him with an inquisitive stare. "I know I told Yami that I was going to stay here while he was gone, but I recently got an email from a former employer that would like me to come into town. Town being Yokohama. I might have to stop in Tokyo on my way back and see if I can't find anything of interest. You're from over there, aren't you?"

"Yes...I lived in Yoyogi Uehara in Shibuya. It was quiet and we actually lived in a big house there. But Malik, if he wants to offer you a job, you won't be back, will you?"

"Not for awhile, at least," he admitted, "but I _will_ be back eventually, don't you worry. As it stands, though, you have Ryou and Kaiba to look after you, along with Jounouchi and the others and when Yami gets back, you'll have him." Anzu must have had a dubious expression because he snickered, saying, "I know that Yami seems like a sweetheart to you, but he can be amazingly brutal when he needs to be. If he thought you were in danger, I'm sure that he would kill an entire building full of people just to ensure that you were alright." He reached out and gently clipped her chin with his thumb. "Stop worrying so much. You'll be okay. And it's not as though I won't have contact with Ryou to make sure you're alright."

"Ugh, I'm not a kid," Anzu said with a roll of her eyes. "Nobody needs to 'check up' on me."

"Excuse _me_ for trying to be nice," Malik returned and drank from his cider. "But in all seriousness...I _will_ be keeping an eye on you if I don't get back soon."

"Well, thank you," she said, smiling. She hesitated and then cleared her throat, asking, "Um...what about...Mai?" Malik surveyed her suspiciously over the top of his cup and sensing her caution in the question, he sighed and considered it a moment.

"Actually, I had a great time with her," he admitted at last. "She's not uptight and clingy like those stupid bitches that I have to deal with that fall all over me when I'm trying to teach them." Anzu laughed at his description and turned around, leaning her arms upon the counter, bending down slightly. Malik looked at her briefly and then continued, "Which is why I did it in the first place. I like to have fun with those girls and teach them a lesson, but I really was just in the mood to get laid and screw around with someone without worrying about a huge ass scene. She knows how this works, though, and it worked perfect for both of us. She got to relax and vent, I got what I wanted, and when I leave, it's not like it'll be with one of us having a broken heart – well, not from _our_ situation, anyway." He tapped his cup with his fingers, his brow furrowing slightly. "What's that guy's problem, anyway?"

"Jounouchi's?" Anzu asked, tilting her head up to look at him. When he nodded in affirmation, she sighed. "It's not really my place to say, Malik. He's going through a lot right now and isn't really sure what to do."

"Bah," Malik grumbled, waving a hand and pushed off from the counter and tossed the remainder of his cider in the trash. "Relationships. Too much fucking trouble."

"They are," she agreed faintly, straightening. Malik eyed her at that and then held an arm out for her. She inched forward and he pulled her into an embrace. She remained there for a long moment. "I miss him," she said softly.

"Knowing him, I bet he's crying his eyes out," Malik reassured her with a smirk. She rolled her eyes and smacked him gently on the shoulder. "I'd best be going. I have an early train to catch tomorrow and if I don't get back soon, Ryou's going to send the police out to find me. That, or have a fit and bitch at me when I get there." He raised his hands and let them fall in disgust. Anzu merely giggled. "Anyway, take care of yourself, Anzu."

"Thanks. I'll miss you, Malik," she added as he rounded the counter, approaching the door.

"Actually," Malik told her with a devilish little smile, "I'll miss you, too." He waved and then slipped out of the café. Anzu smiled and then sat upon the stool again, warming her chilled feet. Miho returned some time later, but Anzu was staring out the windows of the door, unaware of her friend's presence. Miho crept up behind her and draped her arms over Anzu's shoulders, clasping her hands. Anzu started in surprise and looked up at her before smiling and touching Miho's hands with one of her own.

"It sure is quiet now," Miho said.

"Yeah...it really is."

After closing, Anzu bid Miho farewell and walked away from the café, her hands tucked inside her pea coat. It was dark out and there were very few people on the streets. She tilted her head back, peering up at the buildings. Lights twinkled up from the rooftops and a few windows. Far away, she could hear the sound of a car alarm going off and then instantly being silenced. The sky was black above her, the stars invisible in the city lighting. She sighed and dropped her head back down, walking past the opera house. She paused a moment, looking at the dark clear windows that formed the basis of the opera house. Around the windows was the white of the building, glaringly apparent even without the lamps. She turned away from the opera house and its beautifully modern structure, continuing on another block until she came to her car. She drew her keys out and slipped inside the car and starting it. She sat there, allowing it to warm up, yet her mind was occupied by how lonely she felt.

X

Yami heard his name called and straightened before walking onto the stage, giving a regal wave and a nod to the audience that politely clapped. He did a swift turn on his foot and then settled at the piano. The audience carefully died down and then he set his fingers to the keys, closing his eyes. A soft melody exuded from the piano, a combination of short notes and a slow tempo. His fingers slipped along the keys easily, never missing a beat. The concert hall was appropriate with a beautiful sound to the music, echoing all around him. The notes seemed to swell, piercing the audience, even when they changed from forte to pianissimo.

His pieces lasted some time and when he finally rose to his feet, the audience rose, their hands meeting excitedly. He bowed and even after he had left the stage, they continued to clap, causing the director of the program to usher him out, where he gave yet another bow that the audience delighted in. Afterward, he was finally allowed to resign behind stage, where he settled himself in one of the rooms. He released a long sigh, closing his eyes as he put a hand to his forehead in exhaustion. He hadn't been aware that Kaiba had signed him up for a concert program until he had arrived at his villa, where they had left a letter and instructions for him of his upcoming performance at the Palais Garnier. He had only performed at the Garnier at one other time and he had been astounded by the beauty and splendor of the venue and while he had never been disappointed with it, he still felt somewhat disgruntled that Kaiba had not given him some sort of forewarning.

"It was such a beautiful ending for the program, Mr. Mutou!" the director gushed as soon as Yami had joined the other performers as they moved to join the audience in one of the spacious entertainment rooms. "It has been so long since you have been here with us that I was so pleased to see you join us in the program. It was a bit last minute, of course, but as soon as the Parisians discovered that you were to be present, it seemed that we sold tickets even faster than before!"

"Well, I am sure that is merely because of the later date," Yami responded modestly, smiling lightly.

"Certainly, certainly," the director said with a conspiratorial wink towards him. Yami almost sighed. "In any case, I have a few..._particular_...customers that I wish to attend to. Enjoy yourselves, gentlemen, and again, thank you for your performances!"

Yami drifted from the other musicians, not wishing to begin a conversation involving the director's comments. While they had shown great respect when introduced to him, Yami did not appreciate the director's disregard towards them, placing him in a difficult situation. While he made polite conversation with the audience members, many of whom were new faces to him, he kept a close eye on his surroundings. He was no longer in safe territory and would have to be careful in spotting a certain set of faces that would be difficult to escape in this type of crowd. A good number of women subtly indicated that they were available to join him at the end of the night and he kindly declined each invitation or ignored them completely, often saying, "Well, at least you will be able to get sleep," when they mentioned how they had no other plans after that.

"Yami!" he turned and nearly groaned at seeing the familiar face. The woman smiled at seeing him. She had thick, straight blonde hair and a dash of freckles over her nose, but still appeared the wealthy, beautiful woman that she happened to be. Near the beginning of his career, Rebecca Hopkins had financed him and being a highly influential American, she was able to draw him close to many societal figures and in many ways, she had helped his career grow as smoothly as it had done. While he was infinitely grateful for her help and had considered her a good friend for the first years outside of Hanazawa and his parent's control, their relationship had begun to take an unexpected turn. For a brief time, they were together as a couple and while they had been sincere in their affection, she wished to continue on with other men and Yami, as he always had done, simply wanted a family.

"Rebecca," Yami greeted in a strained tone. "I wasn't aware that you were in Paris."

"Oh, well, you know how much I love these big cities," she said flippantly, placing a hand on one of her rounded hips. She was wearing a black dress modestly cut, the top halter covering any cleavage, yet baring her shoulders and back and the silk draping down to the ground where it flipped around her ankles as she walked towards him. "The fashion, the class, the intellect, and let's not forget the men." She gave him a charming smile.

"Yes, we both know how much you love your men from the wealthy class," he said mildly.

"I hope that isn't bitterness I hear, Yami." She approached him, slipping a hand into the crook of his elbow. "I know how sensitive you always were. But I'm glad that I happened to spot your name on the program. I wouldn't have come if I hadn't known you were performing. Your music sounds lovely, as always." He gave a small smile in response. "I've seen you rejecting these ladies one by one," she added, gesturing with a hand, "and I can't help but wonder what's made my handsome, playboy Yami so reluctant to go have a bit of fun with a woman? I can't imagine that they're all ugly. There were quite a few exceptionally beautiful ones."

Gently dislodging her hands from him, he said simply, "I'm not interested in them tonight." He gave another small smile. "Excuse me." Before Rebecca was able to pull him back, he slipped through the crowds and as people stopping him, he made quick, polite remarks, and continued through. He occasionally whipped out a flattering comment, making certain that he did not lose any fans from his hasty greetings. As soon as emerged from the room, he hastened through the Garnier and was able to break out into the cool, Parisian air. He drew in a quick breath and then hailed a taxi, rattling off his destination. After sending a quick look over his shoulder to see if anyone had followed him and satisfying himself that Rebecca was still within, he relaxed and stared out the taxi windows.

The encounter with Rebecca had shaken him, although he would not like to admit it. He had not seen her in many years and had made it a point to not see her, after the end of their rocky relationship. Seeing her lovely face had been a shock to him, as he had not seen him for so long. He pressed his forehead against the cool glass of the window, his eyebrows knitting together. At one point in his life, he had thought that Rebecca was the woman for him up until he had actually gotten in a relationship with her. When they were together, they had been happy, but when he saw her across the room with another man at an event that she was not aware that he was attending, he had felt bitterness and resentment.

Shivering as he recalled the many infractions that she had performed against him, he missed Anzu more than ever. His world was made up of so many different, unwholesome characters. It seemed that only in Domino could he find the truly admirable people that he wanted in his life. Even the group of people in Anzu's life, like Jounouchi, Mai, or Miho, was much better than the ones that he had to encounter while he was abroad. Even though he knew it was dangerous, he wanted to call Anzu simply to hear her voice and her sweet laughter when they spoke. He knew that it would calm him and remind him that he had something better to come to once he was finished in France.

He sighed heavily. _I can't call her, though,_ he thought glumly. _I can't call anyone there, not even Kaiba. _

Resigning himself to his own insecurities, he paid the driver as he pulled to his villa and gave his thanks, murmuring, "_Merci beaucoup._"

He unlocked the tall gates and after securing the gates, he tucked his keys into his pocket. The front of the villa was lit up. There was a luxurious collection of green bushes in front of the villa, with lights lit up at the base of the bushes. In the middle a path led to the grand, white villa with metal garden arbors that arched over the pathway leading up to the door. Yami unlocked the door and after slipping into the dimly lit villa, he sighed and tossed his keys on the small table near the door and then passed his hand over his face. He stared down at his hands for a long moment and then raised his head, his brows furrowing at hearing a sound within the kitchen.

Cautiously walking through the villa, he pressed himself against the wall and peered around the corner to see a familiar male hunched over the refrigerator. "Damn it," Yami swore, startling the elderly man who jumped and smacked his head against a shelf in the fridge. The man had gray hair that was fitted beneath a black cap, with features strikingly similar to Yami's with the exception of wider, violet eyes; he had a trimmed beard that lined his jaw and a groomed mustache and while it was clear he was well into his fifties, if not older, he appeared fit and without an ailments. His arms were full of an assortment of foods, clearly planning on making some sort of meal. A lemon rolled away from him after dropping it. "How did you get in and what are you doing here?"

"What do you mean?" the man asked blankly, setting the items carefully on the kitchen counter that jutted out, separating the kitchen in half. Adjoining the kitchen was the empty, dark dining room.

"You know what I mean, grandfather," Yami said, glaring at him. Sugoroku Mutou continued to cast him an innocent stare. "You go and disappear for a few years and then you pop out of nowhere and somehow you always manage to get into my house and know where I'm at. That doesn't exactly make me comfortable."

"It's not like you don't disappear, either," Sugoroku told him with a pouty stare. "I always tend to lose you for at least a few months. It's only when you come up to this part of Europe that I'm able to catch you again. I always stay in the same place, but you move around so much." Sugoroku closed the refrigerator after gathering a few things. "I was hoping you'd be out late, getting laid and drinking so that you'd be a little more welcoming when you got home. I thought I'd make us some dinner, by the way."

"Us, or you?"

"Well, me, but it's not like there's not enough here for you."

"You haven't answered my question," Yami said tensely as his grandfather bustled around the kitchen preparing it for dinner. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not here on an errand from your parents," Sugoroku answered, taking a bite of an apple and chomping on it as he pulled out pans and measuring cups. After setting the items beside the food, he shrugged off the black blazer he was wearing, revealing a white dress shirt. He rolled his sleeves up and tossed the blazer on the square, wooden table set up on the other side of the kitchen. "You know that I've been keeping out of their way ever since they decided to lose all their senses and start a manhunt for their son. Besides their concerts, that's all they're doing, it seems." Yami pursed his lips and then bent down, picking up the lemon and handing it to Sugoroku. "Thank you." He smiled, but Yami had his arms folded over his chest, boring holes through his grandfather. "Ah, Yami, you'll get wrinkles that way." When Yami scowled at him, his grandfather sighed and paused, saying, "Fine, fine, have it your way. Actually, I only found out that you were in Paris because of your friend, Rebecca. As you know, her father and I have always been close friends and she was demanding to know why you hadn't contacted her lately and why you didn't know that she was in Paris, etc., etc., you know – the usual – but in any case, I knew that you'd be staying at your villa and wanted to see my grandson."

"_Grandfather_."

"Oh," Sugoroku muttered around a mouthful of apple, "also...your parents are in Spain, so you might not want to linger here. They'll get wind of your appearance here shortly, I'm sure."

"Thank you for not beating around the bush more," Yami said with a touch of sarcasm, although when he turned from Sugoroku, who had returned to cooking, his expression was worried. Absent-mindedly, he opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of wine and after collecting a wine glass, he filled it halfway and sipped at it thoughtfully. The calm of the alcohol soothed his nerves and he was able to think more clearly. He knew he had several other concerts lined up and with Kaiba's booking skills, they were all over Europe and while he would be returning to France for another concert in a different part of the country, it was at the end and he would be touching in other countries in Europe by that point. If he was lucky, he would be able to avoid any direct conflict with them.

"Why not just poison them?" Sugoroku suggested.

"Why don't you?"

"They leave me alone," Sugoroku said with a shrug. "I travel a lot, but not because I'm being hunted, Yami. It's you they're after. Besides, they know I'm a threat. They're suspicious of me and would never let me get close enough. You, on the other hand – "

"I told myself I was done killing after I left Hanazawa and that hasn't changed. I won't allow myself to sink to their level."

"And running all the time is going to make things better?" Sugoroku queried mildly as he poured olive oil in a heated pan. Yami shot him an irritated look and after shoving the wine back in the refrigerator, he stomped out of the kitchen. "Where are you going?" he called after him.

"To take a shower," Yami replied sharply.

"Give the boy some helpful advice and he automatically gets upset," Sugoroku grumbled, shaking his head.

While Yami was still enjoying the night, Anzu had just been woken from her dreams and lay in bed for a long while. It was still dark out and after she hazarded a look at the clock, she released a long sigh at seeing that it was barely past five. She lay for a long time, trying to relax and drift back into sleep; however, her body refused to offer her anymore rest. Rising out of bed, she collected a warm, fluffy cardigan and pulled it around her, walking out into the living room. She pulled open the balcony doors and stepped out, leaning against the railing. Her breath materialized in front of her face, swift puffs of white floating from her. She closed her eyes briefly and then stared out at Domino City. It was still quiet and seemed utterly still with the day just beginning. Tall buildings loomed ahead of her, their bright signs and lights clashing against the darkness of the sky. She could see morning frost on the cars in the parking lot of her apartment complex when she looked down and every once in a while, a car would glide down the road, breaking the silence of the night briefly.

Shivering, Anzu rubbed her arms and returned inside her apartment, shutting the balcony doors behind her. She went inside her bedroom again and turned her bedside lamp on. She glanced from her bed and then moved to her bookshelf, pulling a small miniature off. It was one of the dancers that had been in the basket of flowers that Yami had sent to her as an apology gift for his first meeting with her father. She took the miniature and slipped back into bed, huddling beneath the covers. She held the miniature in her hands, staring at the subtle angles and shape of the dancer's face. She laid her own cheek against it and stared across her. A smile crossed her lips as she thought of Yami and she closed her eyes.

_I just wish he were back here with us._

X

DIS: I realize that it seems odd that Anzu is going from the conversation with her mother to this, but I promise you that it will fit when the next chapter is posted. In any case, please leave some feedback on your way out. Constructive criticism is always embraced and any type of suggestion is appreciated. Ciao!


	30. Distant songs

_Chapter Thirty, Distant songs_

Anzu sat on her couch with a blanket bundled around her. Outside, there was hard rain shattering against her apartment. They were thick, wet droplets that were loud as they hit the side of the building, sounding as though they were trying to break through to ravage its inhabitants. The temperature had been steadily dropping and she had only just returned from her practice, soaked and shivering. Only after taking a hot bath and preparing some warm tea did she settle on the couch and relax, her muscles aching from that day's practice. She had a handful of practices under her belt already and although it was strange working with Ryou and his somewhat clumsy accompaniment, it was nice to look at his friendly face when she felt uncertain while dancing.

Sighing, Anzu pulled her blanket around her more securely and glanced out the balcony windows. The rain was forming a shallow puddle that was pouring over the sides of the balcony. She brought the blanket to above her nose and breathed through it, nuzzling against the soft fabric. In spite of herself, she had begun to think of her conversation with her mother more and more. As a child, Anzu had been prone to resent the one that was absent and unable to defend their case; as an adult, however, Anzu had more capable reasoning and understood human relationships by observation, if not necessarily practice. Her mother, she had begun to realize, had done only what her heart felt was right and while Anzu did not feel that it was the wisest decision, she also knew that her mother would not have made any other decision. It was hard to reflect rationally on a situation that had effected Anzu so emotionally for the majority of her life, and while she did not forgive her mother for what she had done to her and her father, she did feel less resentment towards her at having heard her story.

Beyond Sakura's troubled story, though, was the information regarding Yami. Anzu had spent every moment when her mind was not occupied with other things contemplating what her mother had told her about him. It seemed strange to her that a man that she would come to have such affection for had been only feet away from her mother. But then, before moving to Domino, Anzu never would have thought that Sakura or a man like Yami would be present in her life. Anzu recalled that night when Yami had lied in bed next to her and remembered his soft voice when he told her that he wasn't able to talk about his past then. It had stung a bit, but she had understood by what little she knew that it was a sensitive topic and even though he wouldn't admit it, Yami had a sensitive nature. He was reserved in most things and it often caused Anzu to hesitate in her own actions. She wondered whether he was simply like this because of his own personality or if he had learned it from Hanazawa and in spite of herself, she wondered how much Yami's tutor had taught him.

_But I guess that's a question to be answered on another day,_ Anzu thought with a faint smile. There was a sudden knock on her door and at first, she ignored it, thinking it was the rain, but then the knock sounded again, a bit more insistently. Frowning, she rose to her feet and hurried to the door, opening it a crack. Jounouchi was standing outside the door, dripping wet and looking quite like a drowning puppy.

"_Puh-lease_ let me in," he begged at seeing her. Anzu quickly opened the door and Honda trailed in after Jounouchi, both of them looking worse for wear. It wasn't until she had shut the door and urged them to remove their wet garments that she realized Honda had a split lip and there were some scrapes on their faces and Jounouchi's jeans were ripped.

"What in the world have you two been up to?" she demanded, grabbing Jounouchi by the shoulders and staring up at him.

"Don't mother hen us, now, Anzu," Jounouchi grumbled, twisting out of her grip. "It's nothing." She sent him a beady stare and shook her head.

"Well, both of you get undressed. I'll grab you some towels and go wash your clothes."

"What are we supposed to wear?" Honda yelped.

"I'm sure I have some old clothes of my dad's in my closet somewhere. I used to always steal his clothes to lounge in. Now get undressed!" She snapped her fingers at him, glaring, before stomping off. They stared after her and then hesitated, looking at each other uncomfortably. Each of them began to strip their clothes off, grumbling under their breath as they did so. Anzu tossed towels into the entry way without looking and the two scrambled to grab them and then carefully slipped the last bit of clothing off of them. "I put some dry clothes in the bathroom," she called, standing outside the entry way with her arms crossed. "Just leave your wet clothes there and I'll throw them in the washer."

"You sure are being bossy," Jounouchi remarked as Honda dashed past him to the bathroom. Anzu glanced at him and then blushed. He grinned at her pink face and put his hands on his hips, teasing, "What? Never seen a packed guy before? Let me introduce you...to the guns." He winked as he flexed an arm at her. Anzu laughed, blushing in embarrassment, and shoved him away.

"Get! Go to the bathroom!"

"Hey!" He scrambled to grab his towel as it began to slip down.

"_Jounouchi!_" Anzu shrieked, startling Honda in the bathroom. "Oh my God, I so did not see that! I didn't see that, did I? Oh, you're so dead. I'm going to kill you! Who said you could flash me?!"

"You were the one trying to tear my towel off, eating me up with your eyes..."

"_I was doing no such thing!_"

"Hey, calm down, calm down, just kidding!"

"Get – in – the – _bathroom!_"

"I'm goin', I'm goin'! Geez, you'd think she'd never seen a guy's wang before," he commented to Honda as he entered the bathroom, clutching his towel. Honda stared at him wordlessly, fully clothed, and looking speechless. "What? You don't actually think - ?"

"You're clueless," was all Honda said in disgusted tone, shoving past him and causing Jounouchi to grab at his towel again.

After Jounouchi had clothed himself, he sauntered into the living room. Anzu was in the kitchen waiting for tea to boil in the kettle and sent him an evil look as he came into her vision. He cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his head, laughing nervously. Honda was sitting at the counter, dabbing at his split lip with a wet rag that Anzu had handed him. He glanced at Jounouchi, but his gaze didn't linger long. "Oh, sure, it's all my fault," Jounouchi said, taking a seat by Honda. There was still a dull flush in Anzu's cheeks, but she chose to ignore the entire situation by moving on to a different topic instead.

"What happened to you guys, anyway?" she queried, removing the kettle off the stove once it had begun to squeal.

Jounouchi opened his mouth, likely to repeat his mother hen comment, but Honda intercepted, saying, "Some guys were trying to mess us up, so we beat them down enough to where we could get away." Jounouchi scowled at his friend. Honda gave him a blank look in return. "Sorry, did you have an elaborate story?"

"Man, didn't you hear me when I told you that we weren't going to tell her?"

"Jounouchi Katsuya," Anzu put her hands on her hips, piercing him with a quelling glare, "you'd best rephrase what you just said."

"I won't," he returned, a solemn look crossing his face as he met her stare unblinkingly. "You've got a lot of stuff going on in your life right now, you don't need to know when we run into a little bit of trouble with some punks. We can handle it and we did." Anzu considered him for a moment and, seeing that he was being serious, her face cleared and she dropped her hands, looking at him thoughtfully. Appearing convinced that he had won the conversation, he continued, "But, you know, I don't like that it was so close to your neighborhood. You should be careful when you're going to and from work and stuff."

"Oh, don't worry," she said flippantly. "When I go to my auditions, I'm always with Ryou."

"Ryou?" Honda repeated, comfortable with entering the conversation again. "But that guy's a pussy." Jounouchi turned a horrified gaze to Honda.

"He is not!" Anzu indignantly snapped. "And you'd better not call him that in front of me again! Or at all, for that matter!" She turned from him and removed two cups from the cupboard and then slammed them on the counter, preparing the two tea. Honda winced and slunk down in his seat, mumbling to Jounouchi something that sounded suspiciously like 'PMS,' but Anzu ignored it. She slid the cups to them and then prepared her own cup, her eyes moving to the sliding doors of her balcony. It was still raining hard outside and the smell of the tea was filling the room with a warm atmosphere. She glanced at her friends and smiled at how relaxed they were. They were murmuring about the tea, with Jounouchi stirring it with his finger thoughtfully while Honda drank it contentedly. She hadn't realized how lonely she had been up until they had arrived. It was good to have their carefree company.

"What movies do you have, Anzu?" Jounouchi asked, turning to her.

"They're in the bottom drawer on the entertainment center."

"Score!"

Anzu laughed as he went to the entertainment center and started rummaging through the movies. She took his seat and smiled at Honda. He returned it and the two watched Jounouchi look through the DVDs.

X

"Are you sure you don't want to come with?" Yami asked Sugoroku, standing beside the cab. The driver slammed the trunk after tossing his suitcase in it. Sugoroku considered his grandson for a moment, smoking a cigar, and then turned his gaze to the side thoughtfully, his eyes skimming the street. The villa was located in a fairly quiet residential district. Unfortunately, that did not always work for one's advantage when someone was after them. At last, he turned his gaze away and then looked back to his grandson. He knew that Yami had asked partially out of loneliness more than anything else, which begged the question when Yami had begun to experience any such feelings in the first place.

Smiling a bit, Sugoroku reached out and squeezed Yami's shoulder. "No, I'm sure. It would be best that I stay here in France for a bit. I know that you'll have your hands full and besides, traveling is a bit much for an old man." He reached back and knocked his fast with a fist, rolling his shoulder experimentally. Yami's dry, slightly exasperated look indicated that he doubted that very much. "But Yami..." His eyes flicked to the cab driver's window. "I should caution you to be careful. It's been awhile since you've been in these parts and regardless of where you've been, you can't let your guard down. Don't forget who you are. Letting yourself get too comfortable is a fault that all men come to regret at one point or another. Remain vigilant."

"You seem to think that I wouldn't," Yami remarked and even though a lazy smile crossed his lips, Sugoroku caught the stiffness in his body.

"You have no reason to keep anything from me."

"And I have no reason to tell you anything, grandfather," Yami said, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit. There was a tense pause where the two men stared at each other. Sugoroku, for his part, was surprised by the slight threat in Yami's tone, but his gaze did not waver. Yami sighed and looked away from him, raising a hand and rubbing his face wearily. He drew his hand up to his forehead, staring at the street. A lone cyclist zipped by, disturbing the quiet atmosphere for but a moment. "All I want to do is protect her," he said at last, lowering his hand. "I've involved her in something that she has no comprehension of and yet all she tells me is that she wants to protect me." He smiled, shaking his head. "She doesn't know what that means to me..."

"You found a woman?" Sugoroku asked. "And...you told her about...?"

"I wasn't the one that offered that information, someone else did. Either way, she's become entangled in my affairs and while it's unfortunate, part of me is selfishly happy that I don't have to hide myself from her. She's been far more tolerant than any other woman. I can't tell her everything or else I really would be endangering her. If they ever found her, she would lose her life simply from the information that she had alone. I have to keep her safe from them and from those people."

"Yami, if that's the case, you need to stop running from this and – "

"I've already told you – "

"I _know_ what you've told me," he snapped, "but would you stop and think a moment at what you've lost because of this? I'm not oblivious to what you want. You want to settle down somewhere, permanently, and relax. I know this. But you'll never be able to stop traveling around while this situation exists. I know that it isn't in your nature to do anything unkind, but it might be time to return to what you used to be and use it, effectively, just one last time." To this, Yami was silent. His face had lost some of its colour and he was staring at his grandfather as if he were mad. "Just think about it, Yami." He reached out and patted his arm. "But go on and get going. You'll miss your train if you don't." Yami nodded and the two hugged briefly before Yami stepped into the cab. The driver pulled away and Sugoroku watched the cab roll down the narrow street, his hands in his pockets.

Sighing, he shook his head and then cast a brief glance up and down the street before he returned to the villa.

By the time Yami had arrived at the train station, he only had about five minutes to shove his ticket through, dash across the platforms to his and settle into a seat. After tossing his suitcase above him, he collapsed on a seat and pushed his hands through his hair, releasing a long breath. He glanced to the side to see two women giving him an odd look. Uncomfortable, he flashed them a quick smile and then turned his head from them, staring out at the window to avoid any more awkward exchanges.

"_Nouse quitter sous peu..._," an automated voice spoke from the front of the railcar. Yami rubbed his forehead, searching for a French translation in his harried mind, but at the moment, it failed him. Instead, he turned his gaze back outside as the train began to move forward. He was sure that his grandfather had noticed, but their conversation had left him somewhat harried and uncomfortable. Even though he had tried to convince himself that this...relationship...or whatever it was might be inconsequential in regards to his actions, he knew that to be untrue. The thought of Anzu being harmed by his parents haunted him and he constantly berated himself for allowing himself to get so close to someone to selfishly keep them in his life.

_I could stop it now, _he thought. _As soon as I get back to Domino, I could abandon it and simply leave. _A moment later, he swore at himself. _But could I, really? She needs an accompanist and even though I hate to admit it, the money that I would be due from being her accompanist would be helpful for my expenses, in addition to these concerts. _He drummed his fingers on the table. The seats on the train were set up so that there was a table in the middle, much like a booth in a restaurant. _But I could make it seem as though I'm not interested that way...couldn't I? But she would suspect. Anzu's not stupid and she's far too stubborn to not strangle an answer out of me. _Yami had no real answer to his dilemma and for the moment, he left it as it was. He still had a fair amount of time before returning to Domino and he expected that by the time he returned, he would have some sort of plan sorted out. Whether it was one that he would like was another question entirely. Uneasily, he realized that if he did, in fact, withdraw from her, he would have a large amount of angry males on his hands to deal with. Out of all of them, he was more fearful of Jounouchi than of even Malik.

For the remainder of the train ride, Yami brooded, staring out at the French countryside that the train passed through. Every once in a while, a pretty brunette would be looking at him and flash a smile towards him from a few seats down and he would politely return it. Looking at her, however, only reminded him of another pretty brunette several thousand miles away, causing him to continue his pessimistic thoughts. Towards the end of the train ride, the brunette knocked on the top of his table, startling him from his thoughts. She smiled at him and then pointed to the seat next to him. "Do you mind?" she queried. He stared at her blankly, wondering dimly what it was that she seemed to think he would mind. Before he asked, his wits seemed to return to him and he shook his head.

"Erm, no...of course not, take a seat."

"Oh, thank you." She smiled again and settled in the seat beside him. Yami caught a whiff of her perfume and he returned her smile mildly, all the while wishing he wasn't on a train where it was virtually impossible to escape strangers. "I hope you don't mind me being so bold...I just couldn't stop looking at you. You're irresistible."

"Oh?" Yami glanced at her and his eyes narrowed slightly. Even though the girl's face was pleasant and she seemed to have a sweet smile, there was something just behind her bright green eyes that put him on edge. He shifted slightly and then broadened his smile. "Well, I'm glad you came to see me. You're quite the lovely woman."

Giggling, she brushed her hand over his arm. "Oh, please! I'm just another girl to you, I bet. You must be so good with the ladies."

"I do try," he said, sidling a little closer to her. "But I'm afraid I don't quite have the skills that other men do when it comes to flirting."

"I think you're doing quite a good job." He felt her hand move beneath the table and snatched her wrist, pulling it out from underneath just slightly. His gaze darted down and she stiffened.

"A needle, hmm?" With his other hand, he pressed a small blade that he had retracted from his pant pocket. "Careful. We wouldn't want to make a scene." Across from them, the two women were exchanging looks and peering at them. Yami flashed his most disarming smile ever and leaned in close to the girl, murmuring, "So, what's in the syringe? Poison?"

"Don't flatter yourself," she muttered back viciously, although he caught the hint of fear in her voice. "You should know that they don't send people to kill you. They prefer to do that themselves."

"How long have you been following me?"

"Not long. You almost escaped me when I arrived in the city."

"That's a good thing for you, not me," Yami coldly told her, pressing the blade a little closer. She flinched as he drew blood. "Let me give you a bit of a lesson, my dear...small though this blade may be, it doesn't take much to kill a person if you know the right veins and I promise you that I do. So, unless you're eager to experience that, I suggest you not make any sudden movements and to hand that syringe over. I'm guessing the rest of it is in your bag over there, isn't it?" She nodded curtly. "Alright. You'll be handing that over to me when we get off, too." Her lips pursed, but she said nothing and slowly handed the syringe to him. With careful fingers, he tucked the syringe over on his other side. "Good. Now, let's enjoy the rest of the ride, shall we? I hope you don't mind this." He prodded a little deeper with the blade. "For security measures."

Even though he had control of the situation and was reacting as swiftly and calmly as ever, inside, his heart was pounding with adrenaline. He had barely been in Europe, yet his parents had found out his location faster than usual and had sent someone after him. Clearly they were not far behind, as this poison was meant to momentarily indispose of him. He would have to get off at a different station, for surely they were waiting for him at his stop – or a stop that they had determined they would get on or that he would be forced to get off on. These cycles of events were far too unexpected for his liking. He should have anticipated a situation such as this. "Where are they waiting?" he asked at last. She said nothing for a moment. Frowning, he turned the blade and made a thin slice, causing her to wince and bow down slightly. "I asked you a question. And do me a favor and tell the truth. You'll make things harder for yourself if you lie."

"The third stop...," she murmured. "It was enough time for the poison to kick in and I could get you off the train. Then they were going to take you."

"Alright, then you and I are getting off on the first stop."

"Wh...what are you going to do with me?" she whispered, her eyes going round and staring up at him. There was no pretense now; she was frightened. For a moment, Yami felt an inch of regret, as clearly this girl was inexperienced. His parents likely thought this more suited to an experienced woman else she would kill him herself and possibly betray them. His parents' paranoia was one flaw that he took advantage of several times.

"I'll decide that later."

At the first stop, Yami collected her bag and his suitcase and the careful to keep her at his side so that no one could see the blood that was leaking out of the slit he had made, he pulled her off the train. The station was empty and, as far as Yami could tell, there was only a small huddle of houses that acted as a rural town some ways down the road that the station towards. Yami considered the town for a moment and then looked at the girl. He could feel her shaking slightly, but was attempting a brave front. He wondered distantly how Anzu would react to this type of situation. There was so little that seemed to frighten her. Shaking that thought from his mind, he shoved his suitcase to the side and then pulled the girl's bag open, digging around inside. She stood in front of him, silent, as he pulled out several more syringes and a pistol. "Is this yours or did they give it to you?"

"It's mine. For self-defense."

"For - ?" He raised his eyes and then sighed irritably. "What do you do for a living?" She didn't respond. "I asked you a question."

"I'm a dancer," she said at last.

_Why am I not surprised?_ he thought bitterly. "And what all did they tell you?"

"Nothing. They just told me to flirt or seduce you, poison you with the needle, and then they would pay me when we got to the station. They didn't tell me why or what they planned on doing with you, they just came up to me after once of my dance recitals. They...they blackmailed me into doing it. I don't know how to do this. But I had to protect my dance partner. He's married and we've been having an affair, but if anyone found out, it would completely ruin his career. Please, don't kill me...please..." Almost immediately, she started sobbing. Yami watched her impassively for a long moment, not saying anything, running what she had said in his mind.

"Get a hold of yourself," he said at last. She sniffled, wiping her face and blinking blearily up at him, trembling violently. He had known some women to be very good actresses, but it was rarely the women that could hold up such a good, false performance. Typically, Yami found his trouble to be with the men. They were far better at controlling their emotions and creating false emotions than women. This girl truly was frightened and in fear for her life. Not for the first time, Yami was overcome with loathing for his parents' use of other humans for their own vile deeds. He considered the girl for another moment and felt his stomach churn. "No matter what, you're going to die," he told her softly. Once again, she was sobbing.

"Please...please, no..."

"Listen!" he snapped, causing her to halt, shaking as tears streamed down her face. He reached out and swept her dark hair from her face. Cupping her cheek, he gently told her, "Trust me, they won't let you live and they won't be kind. Have courage. I'll be quick." He removed his hand and she was crying in earnest now, silent, gasping tears. His lips thinned, but he simply pulled out one of the syringes and took her arm, pressing the needle into one of her blue veins that could be seen clearly on her thin, white arm. She stared at him uncomprehendingly, hiccupping from her tears. "The poison will knock you out and dull the pain. You won't feel a thing and it will be over in an instant." He tossed the syringe on the railroad tracks and grabbed his suitcase and her bag. "Come on, follow me." He took her hand and pulled her towards the town. She followed him more slowly, sniffling pathetically.

Yami checked into a hotel and dropped off his suitcase and then led the girl away, walking her around the city until she began to get too weak to move. He checked her pulse and finding it slow, he pulled her up to him, supporting most of her weight, and walked some ways from the town. He stood there for a long expanse of time, balancing her against him, although it appeared as though they were sharing a loving embrace. He flicked a look behind and, satisfied that there was no one watching, he eased her further away from the town and into the thicket of trees, although he was now almost dragging her. Once he had gotten far enough into the trees, he rested her down and checked her pulse again. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was partially open. He stood up and sighed, his brow furrowing as he removed a small case from within his jacket. He also removed a pair of gloves from his pocket that he slipped onto his hands.

Kneeling down, he opened the case and removing an instrument with a jagged blade, he parted the girl's legs and with a sickened feeling in his stomach, cut about three inches deep through her inner thigh. She twitched, but the poison was so thick in her bloodstream that she did not wake. After a moment, he cut through the thick artery that lied there. He stood back up, removing the gloves, and carefully cleaned the instrument with a cloth from the case. After returning the instrument, he tucked the cloth inside his glove and returned the ensemble to his jacket. He waited for a few minutes before kneeling beside the girl's head and taking her pulse. Satisfied, he dragged the body further into the thicket, carefully arranging her so that she was beneath bushes and then chose a place some ways from where she was hidden to wait out the time. Only after he had heard a train go by three times did he return to the town. By that time, it was dark.

Yami gathered his suitcase from the hotel and checked out and returned to the train stop. He had taken the girl's bag with him, as well. He would return to Paris and take a flight to a different city in Europe, one where Kaiba hadn't scheduled him – just in case. He sat patiently for the train for some time. Once he saw one approaching, he rose to his feet and handed his suitcase up to the man greeting him. "Hold, please," Yami said, raising a hand and then dashing to the side, puking in the bushes.

"Sir! Are you okay? Are you unwell?" the man called out to him in alarm.

"No, I'm fine," Yami assured, wiping his mouth and giving a quick smile. "A little bit too much to drink the other night, I'm afraid. I'm still getting over the alcohol."

"Please, come inside and we'll get you some lemon water."

Once Yami had paid for a new ticket and had collapsed in a seat heading back to Paris, he curled up against himself and wondered at the horror that he had performed that day. It brought back dreadful memories and yet all he could think was his grandfather's words, as though echoing what he would be forced to do that day: _"I know that it isn't in your nature to do anything unkind, but it might be time to return to what you used to be and use it, effectively, just one last time."_

_I killed a girl so that she would not be tortured by my parents. If she was lucky, she would have simply gotten a gunshot to the head. Instead, I dulled her senses and let her slip off while I killed her. It took but two minutes for her to bleed out. But what person can kill so coldly, without any hesitation, simply for their own survival? _Yami pushed his face into his hands, remembering her serene face after he had killed her. _What kind of person am I?_

X

DIS: Yes, yes, I know this chapter was long overdue. And, it was a hard one to get through because I want to jump straight to the next chapter, which is far more interesting. In any case, please leave a review telling you how you liked it, any speculations you have, etc. And as always, thank you for reading! Ciao!


	31. Love, Domino style

A/N: I **strongly** advise everyone to listen to the track, _Born a stranger_ from the "To the Moon" OST for the majority of this chapter, especially during the scene with Jounouchi and Mai. That soundtrack was incredibly inspiring.

_Chapter Thirty-One, Love, Domino style_

There was a commotion as all of the dancers gathered their things and bid farewell to each other. Ryou collected the sheet music from the piano and politely nodded to the directors of the recital. His eyes, however, instantly moved to Anzu. She was chatting to one of the other dancers and after a moment, the girl waved and left Anzu. Almost immediately after she was out of sight, her bright face seemed to fall and she began to concentrate on gathering her things. Ryou's brow furrowed worriedly as he watched her. It had been several weeks since Yami had left Domino and he ought to have returned by now. He knew that Anzu was worried, but he wouldn't admit that he, too, was somewhat concerned about their friend. Malik had scarce been heard from and all that Kaiba could say when Ryou inquired was that he hadn't heard any negative news from his informants in Europe. For Kaiba, that meant a simple delay had kept Yami from arriving on time. Nonetheless, it made Ryou uneasy.

"You're doing really well, Anzu," Ryou told her in a cheerful tone, approaching her. She smiled at him.

"Thanks, Ryou...I think the directors are getting a little suspicious about Yami's lengthy disappearance, though. Have we still not heard from him at all?"

"No, we usually don't," he reluctantly admitted, feeling a pang at seeing her crestfallen expression. "Cheer up, Anzu," he patted her on the back, "he's probably just gotten caught up in a few things. He'll be along soon." He gave her a bright smile that she returned weakly. "Let's get going." She nodded.

The two of them left the opera house, both absorbed in their thoughts. Ryou would feel more comfortable with Malik in Domino with them, especially with this strange delay of Yami's. Even more, he wished that Malik had been with him when he had been speaking to Kaiba. Kaiba had been deliberately holding information from him and while he had known it, he had hesitated; part of him had been unsure as to whether he really wanted to know what information it was that Kaiba was hiding from him. Malik would have dived right into it, with no regard to what type of news the businessman might deliver. Ryou was having a hard enough time not confessing his fears to Anzu and if he had been given any additional information, he had a feeling he might spill it to her out of pity.

As he was considering this, his phone abruptly began to vibrate in his pocket. Frowning, he dug into his pocket, pulling it out and answering, "Hello?"

"About fucking time you answered, I've been calling you all night," Malik spat on the other line. Ryou's frown deepened irritably at the foul tone. As he opened his mouth to correct him on his attitude, Malik continued on ruthlessly, "How the hell am I supposed to keep in contact like you oh-so-kindly requested last I spoke to you when you won't even answer your phone? Are you alone?"

"No, I'm with Anzu. We just finished her recital."

"Well, move away from her, if you can."

Ryou grimaced and glanced to see Anzu peering at him curiously. "Alright. One moment." He lowered the phone and dug in his pocket again, pulling out his keys. "Anzu, will you go ahead and start the car? I don't think you want to hear this conversation. Malik's being a bit of a pig and is getting himself in trouble with women again."

"I'm not surprised," was Anzu's dry remark. She took the keys and walked ahead of him to where his car was parked.

Ryou watched her a moment and then sighed, saying, "Alright, Malik, what is it? It had better be good, making me lie to her."

"Yes, because I'm overjoyed to hear you call me a pig and have her agree," Malik replied darkly. "Listen, Yami's going to be in town tonight. Kaiba just called me to let me know, but he's in bad shape. He's had a rough time. He wanted me to call you to let you know."

"What happened?"

"We're not entirely sure. I can't do shit over here, but you need to try and keep Anzu company. I don't want her worrying too much about him, but we also don't want anyone knowing that he's in town yet. He had a hard time keeping any sense of normalcy after his first trip into France and according to what Kaiba told me, Yami had no choice but to take out a few people while he was there. I'm uneasy about the situation and Kaiba is, as well. There shouldn't have been any way of anyone knowing his exact places, but it seemed that they were a step behind him the entire time. He got fucked every way he turned. It's not a good situation."

"Is he alright?"

"I'm not sure. Everything I told you is all that Kaiba told me. And, surprise, surprise, that's all Yami shared with him."

"This isn't good...I hope he was wise enough to shake them off before he returned."

"Of course," Malik snapped irritably. "That's what took him so long. He ended up going off on a totally different direction than the one that Kaiba set him up on because it was clear that they had somehow already known of that path that Kaiba had made for him, so he spent the last two weeks trying to do unscheduled concerts and then booking it out of whatever town he was in. But listen, don't stay on the phone too long, I don't want Anzu suspicious. Keep her safe and happy, though."

"This would be a lot easier if you were here," Ryou told him fretfully.

"Man up, for fuck's sake! I can't be there to hold your hand all the time." At that, Malik hung up, leaving Ryou with an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach. It was one thing to do as Malik said, but an entirely other to actually be able to do it. Keeping Anzu safe was easy enough, but happy? Ryou doubted that he would be able to ease her mind about that without lying. He had never been a very good liar and wasn't about to make a habit of it. Tucking his phone in his pocket, he drew in a deep breath and then sighed before stepping towards the car. He opened the driver's door and settled in. Anzu was seated in the passenger seat and was texting someone. She smiled at him as he settled beside her.

"Is everything okay?" she queried.

"Of course," Ryou laughed, buckling his seatbelt. "You know how Malik is, causing trouble for himself left and right. He really could take a few pointers from me." He could feel her eyes on him, but determinedly kept his eyes forward.

After he had dropped her off, she bade him farewell and went up to her apartment. It seemed far too quiet and oppressive in her apartment and as Jounouchi had urged her to come over, she packed an overnight bag and hurried out of her apartment, paying very little time in it. As she drove to his apartment, she couldn't help but recall Ryou's strange behavior. Unbeknownst to him, she had been watching him in the rearview mirror, talking to Malik. His expression had suggested far more than simple women troubles. Somehow, she knew that he was lying to her, yet she couldn't understand why unless it concerned Yami. She had tried not to become too worried over him with his extended absence, but she sensed that there was something amiss and Ryou's tense expression while talking to Malik had suggested she may have been correct in her assumption. Even when he had entered the car, his body had been strung tight and his laugh was forceful. She knew that he was trying to make her feel comfortable, but his behavior only alarmed her.

With a deep sigh, Anzu parked at the apartments where Jounouchi lived and got out the car. Just as she was getting out, she saw a familiar blonde walking across the parking lot with a child in tow. "Mai!" Anzu called, waving. The female paused, looking around curiously before she spotted Anzu and waved back. Anzu grabbed her bag and after locking her doors, ran to meet her. "Are you dropping Rena off?" she asked.

"Yes, I didn't know you would be staying over." She nodded to the bag. "Your man hasn't come back yet, huh?"

"He's not my man!" Anzu sputtered, blushing in embarrassment. Mai had a doubtful smirk on her lips, but Rena began to tug on her arm insistently.

"Come on, I'd better get her to Jounouchi, she's getting impatient." Anzu nodded and followed her up to the apartment, thankful for the change in topic. However, she sensed a reluctance in Mai's step and wondered how she had been handling her conversations with Jounouchi after her time with Malik. She knew that Mai was an open book as far as her relationship was concerned, but when it came to Malik, she quickly averted the topic, as if discussing him was off limits. Anzu knew that it couldn't possibly be because there was an emotions involved, as both parties had made it apparent that no such thing was present, but she did wonder whether there hadn't been some personal discussions between them. If so, Anzu hoped that it had done more good for Mai than any harm. Seeing as how she hadn't gotten any word from either Mai or Jounouchi about a particularly bad encounter, she assumed that all had been well for the past few weeks. "But really, Anzu, you and Yami haven't discussed that?" Mai asked, continuing their conversation as if Rena hadn't interrupted. Inwardly, Anzu cursed at her luck.

"Not exactly...before he left, he told me that I was the only one he wanted." She smiled, turning her eyes to the ground as she recalled his soft words when he had been speaking to her. "It was...really sweet. But we didn't define anything. We just...I don't know."

"But you kissed him after the auditions," Mai pointed out as they moved up the stairs to the Katsuya's apartment. "In front of your dad, no less. Don't you think that makes it kind of obvious where you two stand?"

"I don't want to go around calling him my 'man' until he's told me, flat out, what he wants," Anzu explained, shifting her bag on her shoulder uncomfortably as she recalled the kiss that Mai was referring to. Yami hadn't complained or said anything contrary – in fact, he appeared quite pleased – but she was afraid of pressuring him into doing something that he didn't want to do or rather, wasn't ready to do. She knew him well enough by now to know that he was hesitant, especially in matters of relationships.

"Well, he'd better figure it out when he gets back," Mai stated in her blunt, matter-of-fact way of speaking.

They paused in front of an apartment door and Mai knocked briskly on it. There was a moment's pause before it swung open, revealing a beaming Jounouchi. His smile faltered the slightest bit at seeing Mai, but he quickly covered it by saying, "Geez, all these girls on my step, you'd think I was a millionaire or something." He knelt down and picked up Rena, who giggled in delight, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. "Er, are you going to come in for a minute, Mai?"

"No, I'm just dropping her off," she answered, raising her hand with Rena's bag. Anzu darted a look between the two and cleared her throat, taking Rena's bag.

"Let me take her inside," Anzu suggested, flashing a quick smile. She took Rena from him and stepped inside.

Jounouchi joined Mai outside, shutting the door behind him. He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, wondering at what Anzu had been thinking leaving the two of them alone. He slanted a look towards her beneath his thick fringe and saw that she had her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive position, one that he had become accustomed to seeing. He had been walking on eggshells when talking to her lately, the only reason they had been able to have somewhat amicable exchanges. He cleared his throat and dropped his hand, preparing to say something and then she surprised him, reaching out and laying her hand on his arm.

"It's alright," she told him, smiling slightly. "You don't have to say anything. Go inside with Rena. I'm tired, anyway." She withdrew her hand and waved, turning from him and walking towards the stairs. For a moment, he considered calling her back, but realized he really didn't have anything to say. Frustrated, he rubbed his face violently. When he dropped his hand, he saw that she had halted, but hadn't turned around. After a moment, she turned and then blinked at seeing him standing there, staring at her. "Jounouchi..." She hesitated and he was reminded of how frail Mai was behind her tough exterior. She flaunted and used her beauty as a barrier between her and others, but when he had pursued her, he had sensed the shy girl behind her confidence and just then, he caught a glimpse of it once again. "Anzu and Yami have a great thing going on, don't you think?"

"Uh...yeah," he admitted after a confused pause. "It's really awesome. I'm happy for her – and him. He seems like the kind of guy that hasn't had the chance to have a girl like Anzu."

"No," she agreed, appearing thoughtful. A corner of her mouth tilted upward and then she laughed, tucking some hair behind her ear. "It's a once in a lifetime thing that happens, Jounouchi...finding someone that really clicks with you, y'know? It's...it's not something that anyone should let go, regardless of the circumstances. Those kind of instances...you really can't just move on from them. It's like fate." She smiled at him and then gave a brief laugh again. "I know. It's stupid. But that's what I think. Anyway, see you." She raised a hand and then hurried away before he was given a chance to respond. He stared blankly at where she had been standing, processing what she had said.

_She knows me so well,_ he thought, dragging his fingers through his hair restlessly. It had always been like that when they were together. Mai hated having serious conversations as much as Jounouchi and would usually toss a few lines out before work, kiss him, and run to her car before he was given a chance to process and reply. It often worked better than a long, drawn out conversation. He would have time to think about it, get angry, and then calm down and by the time she was home from work, the worst part – the part they both dreaded – was over and it was just another small conversation that would end only a few seconds after it had started. Jounouchi also knew too well what it meant for Mai to dredge up those words for him, to show that bit of weakness and hope to him.

Jounouchi stepped towards the balcony of the apartment, leaning his forearms against it and peering down in the parking lot. He smiled when Mai appeared in the parking lot, jogging a bit to get to her car. Perhaps she felt his gaze on him, because she slowed and then looked back. Jounouchi raised a hand in greeting and even from that far away, he could see a genuine smile spread across her face as she waved back. She disappeared from his view as she rounded a corner and his smile slid from his lips. Even though the offer had been hesitant and uncertain and even though he knew that it had been vague in context and it would be a rough road, it gave him hope. Jounouchi was a fairly impatient man and even though he knew it was impossible, he wanted to run down to her and gather her in his arms and cry simply from missing her.

_But can I forgive her? _he wondered. He thought of the tense conversations, the many irrational fights, and the agony that he constantly saw on her face when their gaze met. She had been in as much pain as he had and that, alone, was enough for him to accept that simply being without him had done its damage on her. Jounouchi closed his eyes, rubbing his face once again, but leaving his hand covering his mouth.

"Jounouchi?" Startled, he straightened and turned around to see Anzu standing behind him, a worried look on her face. "Is...everything okay?"

"Yeah, I've just got a lot to think about. Don't worry about it." He smiled and reached out, patting her on the arm. He passed her to go inside and paused at the door, glancing behind him. Anzu wasn't looking at him, but out at the parking lot as he had been a moment ago. "Hey, you gonna come in?"

"Yeah...," she answered faintly and then turned to smile at him. "Yeah, I'm coming." As soon as Jounouchi's back was turned, however, her smile fell as she wondered, _Where are you, Yami?_

X

Mai was lost in her own thoughts as she drove home that night. She knew that it had been foolish to allow her that small bit of giddiness to enter her stomach when she had spotted Jounouchi watching her. She even felt foolish for throwing that statement out for him. She recalled several times where she would toss too-serious remarks to him and then vanish. She was sure that he hadn't forgotten that. He remembered far too many other things from their time together to forget that. She only wondered what he was going to do with that information. Additionally, she wondered if she had been wise in following the advice that had caused her to do such a thing.

"_Do you love him?"_

_Mai turned her head to look at Malik, who was lying next to her, playing with a lock of her hair idly. His tone had remained casual, but his stare was intense. Mai met his gaze without flinching, considering over the question. A corner of her his mouth tilted upward and she was sure it was for the same reason such an expression crossed his face, so unaccustomed to independent women facing him. "Yes," she said at last. "I do. He's the only man that I've ever felt this strongly about. I regret hurting him...it was stupid and irrational. I would never betray him that way again..."_

"_He acts pretty fucking stupid if you ask me," Malik remarked, dropping the lock of hair and falling back on the pillows. _

"_He does," she admitted, "but that's part of what I love about him." He glanced at her, raising a skeptical eyebrow. She ignored this, continuing, "There was never a moment of boredom with Jounouchi." She laughed, smiling to herself. "I remember when we first started seeing each other...I thought he was such an idiot. But he was persistent. I loved the banter we exchanged. His face would get red whenever I insulted him, but he bounced right back and nothing stopped him from wanting to go out with me. It was mad. No guy had ever tried that hard. And when we were married...it was like a dream. We argued sometimes, but we always ended up laughing about it that very night. He always tried to please me and I always tried to make him laugh. It was never one-sided. All those years...and we always had so much fun together. It was like a never ending carnival." Mai fell silent, a ghost of a smile on her lips. She sighed, raising a hand and looking at the bare wedding finger. "But...a carnival has to end sometime, I suppose."_

"_No," Malik said mildly, "not really. My whole life is a carnival and it's still going, you know. It gets old sometimes, but there's those times where you're just sitting on the ferris wheel doing nothing."_

"_That's quite the imagery."_

"_I'm not all about sex, believe it or not," he told her with a smile. "I do have a soul, too. It's just a little darker than the average person." He winked at her, making her laugh. "But, seriously, did you ever think that your relationship with him now is as shitty as it is because you do still love him?"_

"_Of course."_

"_Did you ever think that it was like that because he loves you too?"_

"_What?" Mai frowned, turning on her side to stare at him. "What do you mean?"_

"_Let's be logical about this. Would he really bother even fighting with you if he didn't feel anything, too? Guys don't argue with women unless they've got feelings for her. Guys don't argue with you for sex, that's just too much work, and we don't argue if we don't give a damn because then we're not getting anything out of it. We like beating other guys up. Verbal arguments are a waste of time and we hate them."_

"_Even if he did, he would never take me back..."_

"_You don't know that. Men take back cheating women all the time. Once a man loves, he rarely stops loving that woman." He reached out and smoothed her furrowed brow with a thumb. "I'm not saying to go confess your undying love for him like in the movies, but you might want to hint at it before he decides to move on entirely. And if you get a good reaction...then go for it. Given your history, it's going to be hard, but why not try it again? If you're going to fight, at least fight and go somewhere rather than sit in the same damn spot the entire time. That gets old."_

"_I hate that you're right so much," Mai grumbled. _

_He grinned. "I love rubbing it in."_

Mai stirred from the memory and her mouth twisted into a grim smile. Malik had been a wealth of information and advice while they had been meeting each other. As she turned onto one of the roads, she quickly swerved to the side seeing that a taxi looked as though it had been haphazardly whipped around. There as a man hanging out of the taxi from the seat and Mai realized that the front of taxi appeared to be dented, as if a car had hit it. Another man was standing outside the taxi with his phone to his ear, gesturing wildly. Mai pulled over and got out, hurrying to the taxi. "Hello! What's going on? Is an ambulance coming?"

"Yes, yes," an annoyed voice replied. She noticed another car was parked on the other side with a young girl sitting on the sidewalk with a boy near her age, both looking horrified. "Those drunk kids hit the taxi as they came around the corner." Mai frowned, realizing that she recognized the voice. As she walked around to the side of the taxi where the man was, she noticed that he was no longer on the phone and as she moved from the glare of the headlights, she stared at the familiar face. The man, in turn, stared at her, appearing a bit shocked.

"I...didn't know you were back in town," Mai said slowly.

"I was trying to keep it quiet," Yami told her, grimacing. She eyed him carefully. He was worse for wear. His face looked drawn with exhaustion and he appeared a bit thinner than last he had been in Domino and there were dark, noticeable circles beneath his eyes. "I would appreciate if you didn't tell Anzu I was in town yet. It's going to be a few days before I can see her."

"Sneaking back into town, hmm? What'd you do over in Europe?"

He stared at her blankly and then had the grace to look embarrassed. "It's nothing like that," he assured her. "Malik and the boys know that I'm in town, I just need a little time to recuperate from the plane ride. It _was_ an eighteen hour flight, after all."

"Of course," Mai said, nodding. She waited with him as the ambulance and the police came. The paramedics had cautioned Yami that he might feel some pain in his neck, but thankfully had not sent him to the hospital for further treatment. After they released Yami, he collected his things from the trunk of the taxi. "Here," she said, taking out of his suitcases. "I'll drive you home. No need to try and find another taxi." He eyed her and then smiled, nodding. They loaded his things up and then got into her car, driving from the scene of the accident. "Some way to come back into town," Mai remarked. Yami gave a slight smile and nod, but was unwilling to give much more of a response. She peered at him, but fell silent for the remainder of the car ride. He, too, was silent, except to occasionally give directions.

When they arrived at his house, Mai got out and carried one of his suitcases to his door. "Thank you for the ride, Mai," he said, smiling. "It seems you were in the right place at the right time. I appreciate it."

"No problem." As he moved to go inside and shut the door, she called out, "Hey, Yami?" He paused, opening the door a bit wider to look at her. "I know this isn't any of my business really, but...Anzu really likes you and really cares for you and – "

"Mai," Yami interrupted, stepping out of his house, holding a hand as though to ward off her words. "I promise you that I plan on seeing her, but...well, look at me." He laughed slightly, spreading his hands out. "I don't exactly look or feel like a charming gentleman at the moment. Once I get some sleep, trust me, she is the first person that I want to see." His smile tilted down and he quietly said, "It was hard not to go straight to her apartment as soon as I got here...I've missed her more than you can imagine." He cleared his throat and then quickly smiled again. "Anyway. I figured it'd be better to get some rest and not look like such a bum when I see her. It'd leave a bad impression. I was thinking of surprising her at showing up for her recital, actually, instead of Ryou being there. What do you think?"

Mai stared at him and even though his body and face looked exhausted, his eyes were bright when he talked about Anzu and her unease from a moment ago disappeared. She smiled warmly at him.

"I think she'd like that a lot."


	32. Breath of fresh air

A/N: Thanks to **everyone **who reviewed! :) I know this chapter is a little shorter than expected, but I wanted to get something out for you guys since it's been...you know...three months. Enjoy!

X

_Chapter Thirty-Two, Breath of fresh air_

It was early in the morning when Malik woke up. He had gone to bed only two hours ago and yet he was wide awake. He sat up in bed, frowning, wondering what had awoken him. He peered around in the darkness and glanced at the digital clock. It was 5:22, allowing him about two more hours of sleep. However, his instincts were alert and alarmed. He slipped out of bed, standing up and allowing his eyes to adjust to the darkness for a moment. He rubbed his face, feeling the beginning of stubble on his chin. Frowning and dismissing that temporarily, he crept from the bedroom in his modest one-bedroom apartment and stepping into the hallway cautiously. His body tensed as he listened. His apartment was quiet, but somewhere in the darkness, he could sense that something was not quite right. He stepped back into his bedroom and pulled the case out from underneath his bed, grabbing his OTs-27 Berdysh handgun. Making certain that it was loaded, he tucked it against his leg as he exited his bedroom for a second time.

His eyes darted around the living room as he stepped outside the hallway. He could find no one present, but his unease did not dissipate. He moved into the kitchen and flipped a light on. The light revealed that his apartment was quite empty. However, his alarm increased when he noticed an unfamiliar package sitting atop his coffee table. Rather than moving directly to the package, he darted around the apartment, throwing open closets, shoving his shower curtain back to check the bath tub. When he was satisfied that he was quite alone, he returned to the living room and stood above the package, his eyes narrowed. The packaging was plain and brown and there was an unaddressed envelope sitting atop it. Carefully, he opened the envelope, keeping his pistol in hand. Inside was a simple letter.

_We expect to see you soon. Here's a little gift to remind you of us. Give our regards to the others._

It was unaddressed, but Malik recognized the handwriting. Tossing the envelope aside, he set his gun aside and tore open the package. The box itself was plastic and had latches on the side. He glanced at the letter again. He knew the handwriting was Yami's father, Rei, which was unsettling to know that he had been in his apartment and was so close to Domino. Briefly abandoning that thought, he carefully unlatched the box and then opened it. He caught a whiff of something familiar and lifted a hand to cover his mouth and then flipped the container open completely. For a long moment, he stared at the contents and then picked up the letter with his free hand, reading the words again. _Give our regards to the others_.

Malik turned his eyes back to the container, his mouth twisting into an unpleasant frown. Bright eyes stared back at him and pieces of blonde hair stuck to the blood that marred the beautiful, fair skin. After a moment, he shut the container and latched it. He left the container on the table and went to the sink, washing his hands. He returned to his bedroom and grabbed his phone, dialing a number, and walking back out to the kitchen.

"What?" Seto Kaiba answered on the other line.

"Rebecca Hopkins is dead," Malik said without any preamble.

"And you know that how?"

"Well, her head is sitting in a box on my coffee table." Malik glanced towards the coffee table where the package was sitting, appearing innocent.

"...her head," Kaiba repeated slowly. "And pray tell me how her head is in your apartment at all, Ishtar."

"That's a good question. I'd like to know myself. Listen, we don't have time for arguing about this. I have a few people I need to contact in Tokyo. I'll be back in Domino sooner than I was expecting. It might not be a good idea to tell Yami just yet, given that he's only just returned to Japan."

"Agreed." And even though Kaiba was trying to have a casual tone, Malik caught the tension behind his voice. After a moment, the male sighed on the other line and in an irritable voice, asked, "Are you going to need help getting rid of that or can you handle it yourself?"

"You forget who you're talking to," Malik said, snorting derisively. "I have it under control. You need to put some people out to watch the city, though. This entire situation could fuck everything up."

"I'm aware." Without so much as a farewell, Kaiba hung up. Malik raised his eyebrows towards his phone and then tossed it on the counter, running a hand through his thick hair, staring at the abomination that was sitting on his coffee table. It unnerved him to know that Rei had been in his apartment while he had been sleeping. It was clear that it had only been a moment before he had woken up that Rei had been there. He released a long sigh and rubbed his face. He was concerned for Yami, but he was more worried for Anzu. Yami could take care of himself, but Anzu wasn't accustomed to this type of situation. She wouldn't be able to defend herself.

_Fuck that, _he thought, pursing his lips, _she's going to have to learn._

X

Yami sat in bed, the sheets bundled around him. He was leaning against the headboard. Outside, the city had been awake for some time. It had been a few days since he had arrived in Domino and he had yet to visit Anzu. His mind had been riddled with nightmarish dreams and unsettled sleep. As he sat in the dark room, he could only stare ahead at the door, his legs brought up with his arms hanging casually over them. He closed his eyes briefly and then winced as an image flashed in his mind, causing him to open his eyes wearily. _How many years has it been since I've had to kill someone?_ he wondered faintly. _How long has it been since I've taken the life of an innocent? Those people...they knew nothing about what they were getting involved in. They had no idea what was happening. They served without any thought, obeying without any personal motive...except to survive._

Yami brought a hand up, staring at it and heaving a sigh. It had been almost four days. Kaiba and the two male dancers knew he had returned, along with Mai. He could count on his immediate friends to keep silent about his arrival, but he was not so sure of Mai's loyalty. She owed a debt to Anzu and clearly thought that Yami was not invested in his relationship with her. He wished it were so simple. Occasionally, he would get up to shower to go see her, but his mind would not leave the dead aside; he had not even been able to put a mask on for Mai. Anzu was his weakness and he was sure that his entire façade would fall apart and he could not unburden his sins to her.

Abruptly, his phone rang, pulling him from his thoughts. He reached out with a hand and answered tiredly, "Hello?"

"Yami," Ryou's timid voice greeted on the other line, "hello. How are you?"

"I'm well, thank you for asking," Yami replied, surprised by the formality. "But I doubt that's why you called."

"No, of course not," Ryou assured him, sounding somewhat ill at ease. "Ah...as I understand it, you've been in town for some time."

"Yes..."

"Well, as you know, I've been playing accompanist for Anzu at her recitals and, well, the ballet is coming up in two weeks and they're getting suspicious, asking Anzu where her original accompanist is. They feel uncomfortable with my presence since I am, technically, in the dancing community and feel that it is a bit of, um, a conflict of interest given that I am also connected to Malik, who was judging the auditions, and it's just getting a little entangled."

"Of course," Yami murmured, somewhat reluctant. "I understand you completely, Ryou. I'll be there tonight at her recital. Don't worry about it."

"Really?" Ryou asked, sounding relieved. "Thank goodness. Anzu's been quite anxious the past week or so, as well, thinking that something's gone and happened to you. She'll be thrilled to see you. Should I tell her that you'll be there?"

"No, let's keep this between you and me," Yami said. "I'd like to surprise her."

"Perfect! I'll drive her there as usual and meet you there."

"Alright. I'll talk to you then, Ryou."

There was a pause and then Ryou hesitantly asked, "Are you...sure you're doing alright, Yami? You sound a bit off." Yami considered for a moment telling Ryou his trouble and while it was tempting, his self-sacrificing nature would not allow him. The horrors that he had performed and the guilt he felt was nothing that any other person could understand. Instead, he kept silent for such a long time that Ryou spoke his name again. "Yami?"

"Yes," Yami answered at last. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just a bit tired. I'll see you tonight, Ryou." Without waiting for a reply, he hung up and tossed his phone across the bed. He wrapped his arms around his legs and rested his chin on his knees, staring broodingly across the room again. Although he felt extreme guilt for his actions, he soon felt another guilt, that of lying to his friends. He had been purposely vague to Kaiba and he was sure that Kaiba had reported to Malik. Ryou would accept the lies without question, far too trusting when it came to him. Kaiba and Malik, however, were a different matter. They were far more persistent and while they had allowed him a brief respite, he was certain that they would interrogate him soon enough.

That night, Yami arrived just as planned, a bit early so that he could watch some ways away. His mind was fraught with unease from his earlier thoughts and he was still unsure of how he would be able to meet Anzu again, after the events that had occurred in Europe. However, every time his mind threatened to unleash an unholy attack of insanity upon him, he calmed himself and hastily turned his mind to other matters. As he waited anxiously, his body froze when he recognized the car that pulled up and parked. Ryou got out first and Anzu followed, carrying her bag. She smiled at Ryou as she rounded the car. Every thought seemed to be swept from Yami's mind as he stared at her. He had recalled her face in his mind many times since he had last seen her, yet somehow his memory had dulled her image. He swallowed and after they had entered the building, he waited a moment and then followed.

Even as he followed them close behind, with Ryou glancing behind them once and meeting his gaze, Yami could feel his steps grow a bit steadier and his mind a bit more leveled.

"Alright, everyone, let's go!" one of the older women was calling out, clapping her hands. "Hello, Mr. Bakura," she added with a slight tone of exasperation.

"They're getting a little frustrated by you being here," Anzu remarked, giving a small laugh that was forced.

"It's alright," Ryou cheerfully stated. Yami was near enough that he was standing almost directly behind Anzu. Ryou glanced at him over her head and smiled, saying, "I think it'll be fine tonight." Yami flashed a small smile to Ryou and reached out, taking Anzu's arm. Amid the commotion of the dancers readying themselves for practice, hardly any of them paid a moment's notice to Yami. Anzu, startled, turned around, her brows knitted in agitation. Her face cleared when she saw him.

"Yami!" she breathed and, looking at her glowing face, nothing about the incidents in Europe came to his mind. Without a word, he pulled her against him and hugged her, kissing her temple. She was warm and her arms that locked around his waist were tight, as if she feared he would disappear or was merely a ghost. "What took you?" she whispered and even above the loud voices, he could hear her voice distinctly.

"I was delayed," he murmured, "but I'm here now. But go, we'll talk afterwards." He released her and ushered her away. Anzu's face was lit up in a bright smile that she flashed at him before hastening away, disappearing in the crowd of dancers. Yami watched her for a moment and then turned to Ryou, who had a relieved expression on his face and had clearly just gotten finished speaking to one of the instructors. "Thank you for holding them off as long as you did, Ryou."

"You're quite welcome," Ryou said with a smile. "I'm going to take my leave, if you don't mind. I think you two would like some time alone, after all." Yami considered that for a moment and then nodded. "Excellent! I'll call tomorrow, there's some things that I need to speak with you about, but they can wait. Have a good night!" Without another word, Ryou was hurrying off. Yami frowned, noting his strange behavior, just as he had over the phone. Temporarily dismissing it, he headed to the piano and was pleased to see that the music was set up.

While Ryou was an excellent pianist, he could not compete with Yami, who played the set of notes with a degree of fluidity that many of the dancers were not accustomed. Only Anzu, who was used to the way in which he played remained unaffected and stepped into place appropriately. The recital was painful for him to get through and part of him had wished that he had forced Ryou to stay and play; he was impatient to talk to Anzu again and when there was a pause and the instructors had to correct someone, his eyes would consistently meet hers across the stage. Every time she smiled when they looked at each other, his heart seemed to grow lighter.

Once the recital was over, the instructors came up to compliment him and welcome him, but he paid them hardly a mind, edging away from the piano and towards the doors. When, at last, another dancer interrupted to get their input, he fled, meeting Anzu at the doors. She beamed at him and without a word, the two of them left the stage, their steps a bit quicker than everyone else's. And, when they exited the building onto the sidewalk, Yami had lost all pretense and took her hand, urging her into a dash towards where he had parked some ways away. Anzu simply laughed and when they got to the car, they paused outside and he pulled her to him, kissing her hard. Perhaps it was partial insanity or part of the insane emotional surge that was pumping through him, but he was not nearly as controlled as usual. But then, neither was she. She clung to him, her fingers digging into his shoulders and her hips turned up against him, his hands splayed against the small of her back, pulling her against him.

"I'm sorry," he managed, pulling away from her, having the grace to look embarrassed. Her face was flushed, but she had not lost the glow from when she had first seen him.

"For what?" Anzu queried.

"For...my enthusiasm," he ended lamely.

"Yami, don't apologize for that," she said, reaching up and pulling his mouth back to hers. Her lips were soft and pleasantly innocent, yet her sweet kisses seduced him. "I missed you so much..." He smiled, kissing below her eye.

"I know...you cannot imagine how much I missed you." She smiled up at him and then rested her head beneath his chin. He ran a hand through her hair and held her against him, closing his eyes and listening to her breathing below him.

When he opened his eyes, he tilted his head back, peering up at the sky. Even though it was somewhat cool outside, he felt warm from Anzu's small body leaning into him. Faintly, he could see a few stray stars twinkling above him, pulsing through the bright city lights. It was the closest he had been to being relaxed in weeks. Simply holding Anzu was enough to calm all of the intense stress he had been experiencing. He smiled faintly at that thought and sighed, tightening his hold on her briefly before gently dislodging her from him. "It's a bit cold, let's get something to eat, shall we?"

"I'd love to." She beamed up at him. He laughed and leaned forward, kissing her forehead before moving around and opening her door for her and shutting it behind her. They said nothing as Yami drove through the city. He held her hand the entire time they drove and when they arrived at a small diner that Yami often went to when he was up late, he was loathe to let her go. "This is a cute little restaurant," Anzu remarked.

"It's one of the few that has decent food past midnight," he answered. She laughed at that.

The two of them settled into the diner and after ordering, Anzu placed her forearms on the table, leaning forward. A corner of his mouth tilted upward, already anticipating her question. "So...really, Yami, what kept you so long? Nobody would tell me anything, but I know that they knew. I'm not oblivious."

"Of course," he said soothingly, hearing the irritated tone in her voice. "Ryou was never very good at lying, let alone keeping secrets from his friends. I ran into some problems while I was over there. Things did not go as smoothly as I had wished. It was unavoidable, however, as much as I hate to say so. Our perfect plan that Kaiba constructed seemed predictable, apparently." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I had to run them around Europe a bit to keep them from discovering Domino. It's one of those things that I had to do in order to protect everyone here. I didn't mean to worry you, truly." He reached out and brushed a hand over her cheek. "But it was necessary."

Anzu frowned thoughtfully, drawing away. "There's something else. That you're not telling me. Why are you being so vague? What happened?"

Yami considered her gravely for a moment and then sighed, straightening in the booth that they were seated at. He considered his words before he said softly, "Anzu...there are some things that I can't tell you. Not because I want to protect you or because I can't, but things that I just...choose not to tell you. These things...are not pleasant and I would prefer that you not press the topic and respect that until I am prepared to tell you, to let it be. What happened in Europe has been taken care of and all that matters is that I'm here and we're both safe." He could tell that, in spite of his kind tone, Anzu was somewhat stung by his words. Rather than storming out of the diner as he half expected, she simply shook her head and smiled.

"Alright...as long as you're back here, I'm satisfied." She took his hand and kissed it. Knowing that she had been unwilling to do so, but had done so for him touched his heart. He stood up and moved to sit next to her, drawing an arm around her and kissed her softly.

For now, he wouldn't think of what could happen in the future and only concentrated on her.

_TBC_


End file.
